Salacity
by Brunette S Angel
Summary: After a fight at school Cloud meets Leon, an alluringly jaded and surprisingly amiable newcomer whose mysterious personality captures Cloud completely. Tony, Cloud's usual attacker, doesn't like this one bit and will do anything to keep Cloud miserable.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I could help but begin posting this new story. *blush* I've decided that I'm not going to wait to finish a fic before posting the chapters. This means that there will be a lot more time between updates as I'll be updating as I complete chapters. I know this is unusal for me, but seriously, I don't want to wait anymore. I hope you can forgive me. o.o Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the story and I swear I'll attempt to work on this fic regularly so you're not waiting months for an upate. As always, I love reviews and would truly appreciate it if you could leave me one. I reply to 100% of my non-anonymous reviews because they make me happy! XD

Hope you likey! *crosses fingers*

-o-o-o-

Here he was again, in the dingy principal's office of his annoyingly cliché high school, Garden Brook High. This would be the seventh time the frustrated blond slumped through those doors and threw himself into that chair this month waiting to see the principal. He flinched slightly as his newest injuries sent a jolt of pain through his body, but he smirked at the thought that the other boys had gotten it worse.

The office secretary gave him a stern yet knowing grin and paged the principal to alert him of Cloud's arrival. Cloud grinned back at her and stared at his hands which were busying themselves in his now torn shirt. He didn't look up at the sound of someone else entering the office.

"Good afternoon. What can I do for you?" the secretary's voice chirped cheerfully to the person who entered.

"I'm here for my registration." a male's voice answered lowly, almost depressingly.

"You must be Squall Leonhart." the secretary said, an over cheerful smile apparent in her voice. Cloud didn't bother to look up.

"It's Leon." the new student responded with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

There was a brief pause and Cloud heard ruffling of papers. "Oh, it says here Squall L-"

"It's just Leon." he cut her off rather firmly.

There was another pause. "Okay, Leon. I'm Patricia. I just need both yours and principal Sephiroth's signature then we can welcome you to Garden Brook High." Her voice was dripping with over-friendliness.

Cloud heard the principal's door open, but didn't bother looking up. Both he and principal Sephiroth had a routine now. "Principal, can I get you to sign these for me so we can complete this registration?" Patricia's voice was almost sickeningly sweet when she spoke with Sephiroth.

Cloud heard another ruffle of papers while he tugged on his shirt before the principal spoke. "Welcome aboard, Squall."

"It's Leon." The new student didn't bother to hide his annoyance as he snapped at this new principal. The harshness in his voice startled Cloud and he looked up at this so-called 'Leon'. His breath left his lungs immediately. Cloud looked him up and down and then again. Leon's baggy jeans hung off of his slender hips seductively and he was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt topped by a black t-shirt which did nothing to hide the strong arms and chest underneath. His hair was the colour of creamy milk chocolate which accented his tanned skin beautifully. Cloud swallowed to cure his suddenly dry throat before he noticed Sephiroth looking at the new student with a hint of challenge.

"Okay, Leon. Welcome to Garden Brook." He tossed the registration form back onto the secretary's desk. "Collect your schedule and good luck with your studies." Sephiroth looked over at the blond, who was still staring in awe at Leon. "Cloud, are you ready to explain this one… again?"

Cloud looked over at Sephiroth just as Leon looked over at the blond. For this, Cloud was grateful. Cloud nodded, chancing another looked at Leon as he stood up. The brunet still has his eyes nonchalantly on him. For a moment their eyes met and Cloud sighed to hide the hitch in this breath. Leon didn't seem to notice, or care, but watched the blond walk into the principal's office before turning to take his schedule from the secretary.

Cloud took a seat in the chair by the desk as Sephiroth grabbed his file from the filing cabinet before taking his seat on the other side of the desk. "Another fight, Cloud?" Cloud nodded as he eyed his growing file. It wasn't that he was a bad student; he just got into a lot of fights. Sephiroth opened the file to the last page to add notes. "With whom?"

Cloud looked down at his hands and began cracking his knuckles. "Same as before." he answered quietly.

Sephiroth nodded and began writing. "What was the cause of the fight?"

Cloud rolled his eyes at this routine. He sighed before answering. "Same as before. You can go ahead and put that down as my answer for the next few questions as well."

Sephiroth looked up from the file to the blond boy in front of him. He felt for the boy; it couldn't have been easy for him. "Cloud, although I understand why this happens, you can't beat up everyone who starts a fight with you. You need to-"

"Talk to the closest teacher. I know." Cloud cut the principal off with the rest of the lecture he'd heard so many times before. "And no, I can't. It's bad enough that the whole school knows I'm gay. I don't need the label 'tattle-tale' added on."

Sephiroth put down his pen and sighed. "Have you tried talking with your guidance counselor?"

Cloud shook his head. "It'll be the same thing as every other counselor I've spoken with. Trying to talk to the bully, pretending not to care, and 'they're bullying because they're insecure' doesn't help me much." Cloud looked up at his principal. "The only thing that helps at this point is showing them that I can hold my own, fag or no fag." He winced at his own harsh words. "I will always fight back, as you had to have realized by now."

"Cloud, that will only escalate the problem." Sephiroth leaned on his desk, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "What happens when they come back with more guys than you can handle?"

Cloud smirked. "One of two things. I end up in the hospital and you slap their wrists with suspention, or I die and they get off with community service duties because they're 'minors'." Cloud refused to show any emotion in his voice. What was the point? Everything was out of his control. This frustrated him beyond belief but he saved that frustration to fuel his fights when he needed to protect himself.

Sephiroth sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his long, silver hair. "I need you to start going to a teacher when these boys start attacking you."

"And I need to be able to walk down a hallway without looking over my shoulder, but that's not going to happen either." Cloud sighed again to swallow the emotion that was beginning to build up. "Don't worry about me. Once I graduate I'll be out of your hair."

"That's not my point, Cloud." Sephiroth said rather sternly. "I care about what's going on and I'm pissed off that someone's going through this because of their sexual orientation." He paused for a second to let that sink in. His anger was beginning to show in his voice. "You still won't consider pressing assault charges?"

Cloud let out a poisonous chuckle and shook his head. "That would only make things worse. Tony has a lot of friends."

Sephiroth sighed. Cloud was right. Tony would be charged but Cloud would see more assaults and they would probably be more violent.

"Listen," Cloud began, noticing the frustration in his principal's eyes. "You've been really good to me by not suspending me and caring about my well-being, but nothing is going to change for the better. I'm not going to run from them or let them kick the shit out of me without fighting back." He kept his eyes on Sephiroth's. "Just let me do my thing and I'll be graduated before we know it, okay?"

Sephiroth didn't respond. He only looked down at Cloud's file and frowned. He didn't mind looking the other way when it came to Cloud's 'misconduct', if you could call fighting in defense that. It just bothered him that Cloud wanted to go at it alone.

"Are we done here?" Cloud asked after Sephiroth didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Yeah, we're done." he responded, lifting his eyes to the blond and watched him leave his office. He waited until the door closed behind Cloud. "See you in a day or two…"

-.-.-

Cloud took his seat in the back row of his statistics class. A few other students were already there and they all took in the sight of a bruised Cloud with a torn shirt. This wasn't all that uncommon so they went back about their business with their friends. Cloud sighed and pulled out his textbook from his bag before resting his head down on the desk. He thought about this morning's events; the fight after second period and how Tony and his friends were probably trying to explain their injuries to principal Sephiroth right now. He smirked again at the thought of how much damage he managed to inflict on the four boys who jumped him. He lifted his head and touched his throbbing cheekbone before readjusting his shirt.

More and more students filtered into the classroom as class time approached. Cloud didn't put too much of an effort in making friends at school. He had acquaintances that he talked with and ate lunch with, but no one who he called or hung out with after school hours. These school buddies kept a concerned distance from him every time he got into fights instead of asking him if there was anything they could do to help. It suited Cloud just fine. He didn't need to be protected.

The teacher entered the classroom a couple of minutes before the hour and started preparing her books. Not even a moment later Cloud's eyes were drawn to the door as Leon walked in, looking rather frazzled and irritated. The brunet looked down at his schedule then over to the teacher before letting out a sigh. He then looked over the desks to find an empty one. There was one in the front row, another by the window, and one next to Cloud. Leon looked over at Cloud, recognizing him from the principal's office. If his golden blond hair didn't give him away, the bruises and torn shirt did. He made his way over to the seat next to Cloud.

Cloud held his breath as the brunet drew closer, his steps so graceful and his hips twisted so beautifully as he avoided bumping into the other desks. Cloud fought to tear his eyes off of this beautiful boy but he couldn't drag them from the attractive body now steps away from him. Luckily the teacher began to speak, drawing Cloud's attention away as Leon took his seat and pulled out a textbook. Cloud shifted his eyes sideways over at Leon and heard soft, whispered curses coming from the brunet as he fought with six textbooks to pull out the right one. Once he retrieved his stats text, he leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out.

Cloud tried to keep his focus on his teacher, but halfway through class he realized that was going to be impossible. He could faintly pick up on Leon's scent, a clean, fresh, masculine smell that screamed 'no matter how dirty I am, I'm clean'. Cloud's heart skipped a beat at that thought and he scolded himself for the dirty thought. He tried to keep himself from stealing glances at the brunet throughout class, but by the time the bell rang he noticed he failed as he couldn't remember anything that was taught in class.

He got up from his seat and filed his textbook back into his bag, looking over at the now frustrated brunet who was trying to shove his text back into his already overflowing bag. "Do you not have a locker yet?" Cloud asked, surprising himself by talking to Leon so casually. He hadn't intended to talk to him; yet…

Leon looked up at Cloud with stormy blue-grey eyes with a hint of annoyance. "Haven't been able to find it yet." Cloud found himself lost in the storm of those eyes as Leon's voice seduced him without even trying. "This school is a fucking maze." Leon added, looking back down at his bag and zipping it up before his books could fall out.

Cloud snapped out of his trance once Leon looked down at his bag. "I hear ya on that one. I can help you find it. I have a spare right now." he offered, keeping his voice even and not overly excited.

Leon hoisted his bag up on one shoulder and grunted as the weight fell on his back. "Yeah, that would be great, if you don't mind." He shifted the bag uncomfortably and pulled out his schedule from his pocket. "You know where that is?" he asked handing the schedule over to Cloud.

Cloud took the schedule from Leon's hand, shivering slightly as his fingers brushed up against the brunet's. He looked down at the locker number and grinned. "Yeah, I know where this is."

Leon nodded and turned towards the door. "Lead the way." His voice never changed tone. He kept an easy, smooth, almost jaded tone which Cloud was starting to find incredibly sexy. Cloud threw his bag over one shoulder and began his trek towards Leon's locker.

"The school's not that much of a maze once you get used to it." Cloud said after a moment of walking in silence. Leon was looking around curiously as Cloud led him down several hallways. He looked over at Cloud when the blond spoke. "Really, it's just like a grid."

Leon nodded. "I'm sure I'll get used to it. It's just difficult when you're new and don't have time to figure it out before classes." Leon bumped into another student and offered a quick 'sorry' before catching up to Cloud.

Cloud still had Leon's schedule in hand and glanced over his classes. He smiled when he saw that they not only shared a few of the same classes, but their spare, too. "Where are you from?" Cloud asked Leon, who was shuffling through another group of students.

"Balamb." Leon answered, huffing as another student walked right into him. "Am I really that invisible? Seriously…" he scowled at the student who apologized before rushing off to his next class.

Cloud turned around to find Leon in a state of complete frustration as he nudged another guy out of his personal space. He couldn't help but smile. "You'll get used to it. Eventually you'll be able to walk down these halls without noticing it too much." Cloud led Leon down another hallway. "It's down here." Leon followed Cloud down the hall until the blonde stopped in front of his locker. Leon grunted as he dropped his bag off his shoulders and opened the locker.

"Thanks, err…" Leon paused, just realizing now that he didn't remember the blond's name from the principal's office.

"Cloud." Cloud smiled and offered his hand.

Leon took his hand and gave it a short shake before crouching down and opened his bag. "I'm Leon."

Cloud chuckled. "So I've heard." He looked down at the beautiful boy. "Why is it so important that you don't go by your given name?" Leon looked up at Cloud with a hint of confusion before throwing a textbook into his locker. "I was there when you registered." Cloud explained. "You were rather blunt about not using your proper name."

Leon didn't look up this time and continued to put books in his locker. "That's personal."

Cloud nodded. "Fair enough." He took a couple of steps beside Leon and leaned on the locker next to him. "This is me. Looks like we're neighbours." he said, tapping on his locker which just _happened_ to be right beside Leon's.

Leon finished throwing his textbooks into his locker and stood up to lock it. "Eh? Yeah, that's cool." he replied seeming a little distracted. "Umm, what happened?"

Cloud looked at Leon unsure of what he meant before it hit him. "Oh, this?" He looked down at his shirt and tugged it down a bit. "I got into a little bit of a fight earlier."

Leon eyed the bruise forming on Cloud's face and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Cloud wasn't expecting Leon to be so interested in what had happened to him. He hadn't even come up with a believable story as to why he fought with Tony and his gang so much. "Don't worry about it." Cloud smirked. "They got it worse."

Leon nodded slowly before throwing his bag over his shoulder, his eyes remaining fixed on Cloud's face. His eyes surveyed the injuries in such a way that Cloud wasn't sure if he actually cared about his well-being or was just fascinated by injuries. The expression on his face suggested that he was just making small talk. Either way, Cloud felt a small flush as Leon's eyes roamed his own features.

The bell rang again announcing the start of next period and Leon swore under his breath. "Where the fuck am I supposed to be?" he asked, reaching for his schedule which was still in Cloud's hand.

Cloud handed the schedule back and smiled. "You have a spare. We have a similar schedule. Well, sort of..." Cloud explained as Leon's stormy eyes inspected his schedule before looking somewhat relieved. "What are you up to right now?"

"Spare, apparently." Leon answered, not catching on to what Cloud was really asking.

Cloud chuckled. "What are you doing for spare?" His smile dropped when he noticed who was coming down the hallway towards them. Tony and his friends: talking rather loud and obnoxiously and pushing one another into the lockers lining the walls. Leon noticed Cloud's sudden change of attitude and looked over his shoulder down the hallway. He spotted the rowdy group and noticed that a few of them were sporting black eyes and recently bloodied noses. He looked back at Cloud. Cloud took a deep breath and looked at Leon. "Don't worry about them. They're just assholes."

"Are those the guys who you fought with today?" Leon asked, voice void of any concern or emotion.

Cloud nodded and quirked his lips. "Yeah."

Leon looked back over at the oncoming entourage before one of the boys spotted Cloud and grinned wickedly. "Oi, Cloud!" he called out, drawing attention from the rest of the small gang. Everyone turned and looked at Cloud, who Leon noticed looked ready to throw himself into another fight. "There you are, Cloudy-boy!" the first boy said, throwing an arm around the blond when they reached him. Cloud grabbed his wrist, twisted the boy off of him, and shoved him back to his friends.

"Hey, Leon," Cloud said, not removing his eyes from the boys who were snickering at their friend. "Why don't you meet me at the library. I'll catch up." Leon shifted his feet on the spot but made no indication of actually leaving. "It's fine. I'll be only a minute." Leon didn't spare a look at Cloud but kept his eyes trained on the group of boys who looked ready to start something with the blond.

"Leon, is it?" one boy asked, stepping in front of his group. He obviously was the ring-leader of this pack. "Listen, newbie, let me give you a piece of advice." He nodded his head towards Cloud. "Steer clear of this one, ya?" He placed a hand on Leon's shoulder and smiled at Cloud. "Know what will happen if you spend too much time with him?"

Cloud rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Fuck off, Tony. You're a fucking moron if you think-"

"Think what, Cloud?" Tony asked, cutting the blond off. He knew Cloud wouldn't have the balls to say what he was about to in front of a possible new friend. He was right. Cloud bit his tongue and shook his head. For all he knew, Leon was a violent homophobe, too. He didn't need to make another enemy. "Cloud, what was it that you were going to say? I'm a moron if I think what?" Tony pressed.

Leon looked over to Cloud before idly removing Tony's hand from his shoulder. Why was he to _steer clear_ of Cloud, exactly? Cloud looked back at Leon with an apologetic look in his eyes. He didn't want Leon to be any part of this. Tony looked back at his group with an acid grin before standing in front of Leon. "You seem like you could be a cool guy, Leon. I'm usually pretty good at figuring these things out. Now tell me," he put his hand back on Leon's shoulder. "Are you a fag?"

Leon remained cool, calm, and collected and swatted Tony's hand from his shoulder once more. "Fuck you." his nonchalant voice said calmly.

Tony grinned. "Oh, so you're not?"

"No, I am not." Leon shook his head. Cloud's heart dropped to his feet and he could feel all of the colour drain out of his face. Now he was to fight Tony and his friends _as well_ as Leon? Could he hit Leon? Leon was so damn beautiful.

"Well," Tony smiled at Leon. "Then you might want to watch out for this little minx right here." he said evilly, pointing at Cloud. "Because he _is_ a fag and from what I hear he likes to take it up the ass. By the way he was just looking at you, I'm sure he has just filled up on mental jerk-off material for the next few months." Cloud swore all of the air had just left the hallway and felt like he was about to die of embarrassment. He wished he could just turn around and bolt away, but that wasn't an impression he was willing to deliver. A familiar anger rose within his chest and he took a deep breath, trying his best to avoid looking at Leon. "Are you going to deny it, Cloudy-boy?" Tony asked cruelly.

Cloud's hands fisted into tight balls and he tried to focus on breathing before he passed out. He accidently let his eyes glance over to Leon, who was staring at him with the same stormy indifference that they have held since they met. Not a readable expression on his face. His heart sunk as Leon offered no indication of what he thought of this situation. He looked back at Tony. "I'm tired of standing around here wasting time. If you're going to hit me, hit me." Cloud said, his voice seemingly drained of all energy.

Tony smirked. "Are you not going to deny that you're a gay twink who loves to suck dick?"

"Leon, I'm sorry…" Cloud said dejectedly as he turned and walked away. He could hear Tony and his crew talking with Leon as he made his leave. He just had to make it to the bathroom first before he could let his tears fall from the humiliation he had just experienced. His anger made his body shake as he quickened his pace towards the bathrooms. Once inside he kicked open each stall to ensure that he was alone as the first sob escaped his lips. He grabbed some bathroom tissue and held it against his eyes as tears began to freely fall from them.

He sat up on the counter beside the sinks and hid his face in his hands. The utter mortification hit him hard and his heart clenched in his chest. He wasn't going to lie about his sexual preference, but he had no intentions to openly tell Leon either, especially since they had just met. Thinking about Leon made the pain in his chest tighten further as he sobbed into the palms of his hands. If Leon hadn't have been there he would have taken on the other boys easy enough. Hell, if Leon hadn't have been there they probably wouldn't have said too much to him apart from the mean catcalls. Now they were probably trying to recruit Leon amongst themselves.

Next time the entourage decided to 'teach him a lesson' for being gay, would Leon join in? Would they have Leon start it as sort of an initiation into their group? Cloud's sobs started to quiet down and he wiped his eyes dry before discarding the tissue. He wanted to get out of there before someone came in so he hopped down off the counter and turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. His azure blue eyes were glossed over by the tears that hadn't fallen rimmed with pale red from the tears that had. He wiped at his eyes again before turning on the taps and cupping the cold water in his hands before splashing it over his face. After drying his face he ran a hand through his spiky blond hair and adjusted his shirt. Grabbing his bag, he took one last glance at himself in the mirror before heading out of the bathroom towards the library.

He made his way to an empty table and threw his bag on the surface with a sigh. He took a seat and pulled out his stats text to review the material he had missed while distracted by Leon during the previous period. He knew this stuff so it was hard to keep his mind trained on the material without it slipping back to the brunet. Every time he started thinking about Leon again his heart skipped a beat and his chest tightened from the humiliation Tony had caused. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"This seat taken?" a familiar emotionless voice asked, causing a mild panic to course through Cloud's body.

He opened his eyes and looked up at Leon who was standing behind a chair in front of him. He held the strap of this bag over his shoulder and was looking down at Cloud with a jaded expression. _Is he here to mock me like Tony?_ Cloud thought before shaking his head. Not like it mattered anymore. "No, go ahead."

Leon pulled the chair out and dumped his bag on the table before taking his seat. "I would have been here sooner, but I couldn't find the library." he offered, pulling out his text. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the blond.

Cloud looked down at his book and nodded. "S'all right. Sorry that you had to witness that." he said lowly.

"Is it true?" Leon asked, his face not changing expression, well, really just remaining expressionless.

Cloud took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "Which part? They said a lot."

"Are you gay?" Leon asked easily.

"Yes." Cloud replied shakily. "But the rest-"

"Is irrelevant." Leon cut Cloud off. Cloud's eyes shot up at Leon with a hint of confusion. "Don't worry about it, Cloud. I don't care that you're gay and the rest of what they said was just them being arrogant." Leon kept his eyes on Cloud as he watched his own indifference sink in for the blond. Cloud nodded and looked back down at his book. "Are you busy?" Leon asked after Cloud seemed to have accepted what he said.

"Not really." Cloud answered, tracing a crease in the table with his finger.

"Mind catching me up on stats?" Leon asked again, opening his text to the first chapter.

Cloud looked over at the brunet and smiled. "Thanks, Leon."

Leon looked over at that blond and tilted his head. "You're not used to people accepting this, are you?" he asked. Cloud shrugged. Leon shook his head. "That's unfortunate."

The two spent the rest of their spare going over the material Leon had missed before he moved to Garden Brook High. Cloud took great enjoyment in watching Leon absorb everything that he was teaching him. When the bell rang for next period Leon grabbed his schedule and Cloud showed him to his next class before going off onto his own.

"Thanks." Leon said facing Cloud before he slipped into the classroom.

"No problem." Cloud smiled back, still feeling a little uneasy around the brunet.

Leon sighed reading the mixed emotions on Cloud face. "Cloud," he began, causing the blond to look up at him. "You're gay. You're blond. You're good at stats. It's what makes you Cloud. Ease up on yourself, 'kay? Fuck Tony and his pathetic clique." Cloud nodded looking down to the ground before Leon continued. "I'm lucky I found one nice person today. You've really made my first day a helluva lot easier. I mean it when I say thanks." he concluded with a nod.

Cloud nodded back and waved as Leon made his way into his classroom. Cloud turned around and grinned while walking to his next class. His heart fluttered and all of a sudden his previous humiliation didn't seem so bad.

-o-o-o-

Sadly, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Poor Cloud, but some things just need to happen. Have a moment? Leave a review? ^.^


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ah ha! Chapter two! You can thank **KlikStar** for this one as she was the deciding factor in which piece I was posting next. Hope you all enjoy! ^.^ Please review and let me know what you think of this fic so far? Reviews make me very, very happy and I reply to each one! Read on -

-o-o-o-

Cloud found that his next period was just as unproductive as his stats class. Although there was no Leon to distract him visually, mentally he couldn't tear his mind away from the brunet and the relief he felt that Leon didn't care about his sexuality. He smiled inwardly thinking about how cool Leon had been at the library and the time they spent together going over missed material. Cloud couldn't speak for the brunet, but he felt that there was a friendship starting up beyond the so-called friendships he already had with others from school. He was insanely attracted to Leon, but the urge to get to know him and be his friend blanketed this initial attraction.

His stomach grumbled lowly reminding him that lunch was only an hour away. He would eat lunch with his usual acquaintances but hoped that Leon would find him in the cafeteria so he could spend more time with him. He smiled inwardly as he recalled what Leon had said to him before he left for his own class. It was true, he was never ashamed of his own sexuality nor cared what other people thought of him; it was the humiliation that got to him. Sure, people knew by now that he was gay, but when Tony and his gang said derogatory things about him in front of others just to humiliate him, he felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. When the catcalls and offensive words didn't _seem_ to affect him Tony started getting more aggressive and began to shove him. Of course, Cloud wasn't about to let this happen so a fight normally broke out between them. Cloud would never throw the first punch though.

An hour flew by before Cloud realized it and the bell rang to release the students for lunch. Cloud packed his bag, noticing that he hadn't even opened up his textbook, and headed towards the cafeteria.

He made a beeline towards his usual table and smiled at the boys who he normally ate lunch with. "Hey guys." he said brightly.

"What the hell happened to you?" Xander asked, putting down his sandwich and looked Cloud over. "Did you get into another fight?"

Cloud nodded as he pulled out his own lunch and began to unwrap his sandwich. "Yeah, same story. Whatever though. They got it worse." He grinned at Xander before biting into his lunch.

"Shit, man…" Xander sighed. "When's this going to stop?"

Cloud shrugged as he chewed his food. He swallowed before answering. "When we graduate, I'm guessing." He looked over at the other two boys who were surveying his condition. "I'm fine, relax. Eat your food."

"Shame." one of the other boys, Brad, said. "That's an expensive shirt, too."

The third of the trio threw a grape at Brad's head and shot him a dirty look. "Oh yeah, poor shirt! Meanwhile Cloud's all bruised up! Fucktard, you're so materialistic."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Brantley, I'm fine. Seriously. Let's not make a big deal about this, 'kay?" He took another bite of his food.

Brantley's eyes softened with concern and he frowned. "You should press charges."

Cloud grinned as he swallowed his food recalling the conversation he had with principal Sephiroth that morning. "You know as well as I do what would happen after that."

"But he can't keep getting away with this." Xander said with a hint of irritation.

Cloud shook his head. "Can we talk about something else?"

Xander, Brad, and Brantley all looked at one another and frowned. "Who's that?" Brantley asked, nodding his head over Cloud's shoulder. "He's looking at you as if he's deciding whether to come over here or not."

Cloud looked over his shoulder as the other boys looked in the same direction. Cloud smiled and beckoned Leon over. Leon nodded as he made his way over to the table. "That's Leon." Cloud explained. "He just transferred here from Balamb. Today's his first day and I've been sort of showing him around."

"Love interest?" Brad asked grinning.

"He's straight." Cloud glared back at Brad light-heartedly. "He seems pretty cool."

When Leon reached the table he took a seat across from Cloud beside Brantley. He gave the boys a quick nod before looking over to Cloud. "Was hoping I'd find you here."

Cloud smiled and motioned over to the others. "This is Xander, Brad, and that one is Brantley." he pointed as he introduced them. "This is Leon. It's his first day."

Leon nodded again at the boys and they returned the nod with a wave. "You guys don't mind that I eat here?"

Brantley gave a huge smile and widened his eyes, hoping Cloud would notice. He loved to tease Cloud, although it was all in good fun. Even straight men would find this guy attractive. "No, not at all! The more the merrier!" he said, voice dripping with over-friendliness. Cloud must have noticed the subtle teasing since he kicked Brantley's shin under the table. "Fuck…" Brantley gasped as he reached under the table to rub his injury.

Leon narrowed his eyes at Brantley in confusion before looking up at Cloud. Cloud shook his head and smirked. "Ignore that one." he said, pointing to Brantley. Leon nodded as he pulled out his own lunch. "How was class?" Cloud asked, taking another bite.

Leon shrugged as he took the lid off the Tupperware containing his food. "Nothing exciting about English."

Cloud chuckled. "With Mrs. Petry, right?" Leon nodded and Cloud along with the other three boys shook their heads. "Sorry to hear that. That woman's a drone."

Leon shrugged again and leaned back in his chair. His eyes caught a familiar face from across the cafeteria. He sighed before looking up at Cloud. "Will he start shit here?"

Cloud tilted his head in confusion before looking back in the direction Leon nodded his head in. He rolled his eyes and looked down at his food. Leon kept his eyes trained on the blond waiting for a response. "I think one fight a day meets their quota." Cloud answered. "Honestly, I don't care. I only pay attention to them when they want to start something."

Leon's eyes flicked up to Tony and his friends then back to the blond. He wanted to respond in some way but thought better of it. Cloud graciously accepted Leon's silence on the matter and looked over at the other boys, who were looking rather uncomfortable. "Biology next?" Cloud asked, knowing damn well that they all had class together next period but was desperate to change the subject. Xander smiled and nodded; Brad offered a quick 'yup', and Brantley rolled his eyes and banged his head on the table. "You too, right?" Cloud asked Leon. Leon put down his fork and dug his schedule out of his pocket. Cloud was going to tell him that he already had the brunet's timetable memorized, but thought best to keep that to himself so he wouldn't scare him off.

"Yeah." Leon confirmed as he put his schedule back into his pocket and resumed eating.

"Hello _lady_ and gents." a sneering voice said. A hand landed on Cloud's shoulder and he shrugged it off, not needing to look back to know that Tony was standing behind him. "My, this is a rather nice picnic you have going on." Cloud noticed Leon's eyes narrowing at Tony but held no certain expression. "Are we enjoying the beautiful afternoon?"

"What do you want?" Brad asked, casually taking a bite out of his lunch.

"Me?" Tony asked in mock surprise. "Oh, nothing. I was just making conversation." he smiled easily, looking down at Cloud.

"Do you not have your own friends?" Brantley asked, giving Tony a death glare.

"I do, as a matter of fact." Tony said smiling. "I was actually coming over to speak with Leon." He looked across the table at the brunet who put down his fork and looked up at Tony. "There's a house party this weekend and I was wondering whether you wanted to come. Meet new people, get acquainted with friends who won't try and get into your pants; should be good times."

Cloud quickly rose to his feet but was pulled down by Brad, who reacted just as fast as Cloud did and went back to casually eating his lunch. Cloud sighed heavily as Brad released his arm and looked down at his half eaten lunch.

Leon looked at the blond then back up to Tony. "Not interested."

Tony chuckled. "It's not like going to this party means you're not friends with Cloudy-boy here." Tony patted Cloud's shoulder and smiled back at Leon. "It just means that you're meeting new people. Explore new circles before you settled into a clique. Like I said before, you seem pretty cool and I'd hate to see you lose yourself with the wrong crowd." Cloud shrugged Tony's hand off his shoulder again before Tony continued. "I don't think you fit well with the fag and his loser posse."

"I'll take that into consideration if I ever begin to care about what you think of me." Leon retorted casually, voice remaining even and emotionless.

Tony was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Sure, that's fair." He looked over the group before looking back at Leon. "Leon, you belong with the cool kids, not the ostracized. Think about it." He patted Cloud again on the shoulder before turning around and walking away.

"What a dick." Xander growled lowly.

"He's just a homophobe." Brad said between bites.

"Why does it seem like he's all into Leon?" Brantley asked to no one in particular. "He really wants you to become part of his entourage." he said, looking over at Leon who was still watching the blond stare at his lunch.

Leon shook his head as if to answer Brantley and sighed. "You don't let him bother you, do you?" the brunet asked Cloud.

Cloud smirked and shook his head, keeping his eyes on his food. "I'm just tired of him, that's all."

Leon nodded. "That's understandable." He looked over at the trio before deciding not to say anything more. He was never one for words anyhow.

Cloud sighed and looked up at Leon who seemed as though he wanted to say something. "It only bothers me when he tries to get other people involved." Leon looked back over at Cloud with nonchalant eyes, waiting for him to continue. "I don't know why he's focused on you right now, but thanks for being so cool about it."

Leon shrugged and packed up the remains of his lunch before shoving them back into his bag. "Should get my books for next period." he announced while getting up.

"Yeah, me too. I'll walk you." Cloud said, getting up and tossing his trash into the nearby trash bin. "See you guys in class." he said waving to the trio who waved back. Leon glanced back at the other boys with a nod as he waited for Cloud to take the lead.

Leon followed Cloud down several hallways until they came to their lockers. They walked there in silence with the exception of Leon muttering a few hurried apologies to bypassing students he collided into. Cloud opened his locker and Leon did the same before speaking again. "You know I'm not going to become friends with them, right?" he asked as he crouched down to retrieve his biology textbook.

Cloud looked down at Leon who wasn't looking back at him. He allowed himself a soft smile as his heart began to throb again. "That's your decision. I wouldn't be mad if you did hang out with them. I know you're a good guy."

"How do you know that?" Leon asked with his eyes still fixed on the task at hand. "You've known me an entire three and a half hours."

Cloud shrugged even though it was unseen by Leon. "You've been really good to me through this whole ordeal today. I don't know." Cloud continued, trying to find the right words. "What you said before, and how you've acted just now at that cafeteria, you just…" His words finally failed him.

Leon stood up and threw his bag over his shoulder before closing his locker. He turned and faced Cloud with his usual jaded expression. "I just?"

Cloud felt his face flush slightly and prayed that it didn't show as strongly as it felt. "You just seem to get me. It's been three and a half hours; I've known the other guys for years and they don't even get me."

"I don't get you." Leon said shaking his head. "If I were you I would have torn Tony's head off by now. I don't get why you just let it happen."

"I don't _let it happen_. There's just nothing I can do. Once I graduate it'll all be over." Cloud responded.

"What if they start getting more violent?" Leon asked, looking into Cloud's eyes.

Cloud flushed a little more as Leon's stormy eyes locked onto his. The storm within them almost seemed to stir something inside of himself. "I've had this conversation way too many times this month, Leon. I'll just have to deal. Don't worry about me, okay?" Cloud answered as the bell rang for next period. Cloud tore his eyes from Leon's and started walking towards their next class. Leon followed him silently as they entered the class after a few minutes of walking.

Once inside the classroom, Cloud led Leon to the lab bench him and the others normally occupied. The each took a stool and dug their texts out of their bags. A few moments later Xander, Brad, and Brantley entered the lab and took the other stools at the bench. "I hope we dissect something today." Xander said with a grin.

"Next week." Brad replied flipping through his text.

"Damn, I really wanted to cut something open today." Xander pouted, opening his own text.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Brantley asked mockingly disturbed with a look of disgust on his face.

Cloud and Xander laughed as the teacher entered the room and prepared for the lesson. "We won't even begin to delve into that one today." Brad said nudging Xander in the arm with his elbow. Xander sent Brad a playful glare as he leaned against the bench.

Cloud smirked at Leon who watched the teasing between the boys with a detached expression. Cloud wasn't expecting to find anything else, but was curious as to why the brunet was so… different. He hadn't seen him express any sort of emotion aside from the irritation from being called by his given name at the office during his registration. Even when it seemed as though he was being kind when consoling Cloud when he found out he was gay he didn't let on any hint of what was really going on in that pretty little head of his. Cloud only realized now that he was staring at Leon and looked away quickly, relieved that Leon was preoccupied with his text. Brantley nudged Cloud and grinned when the blond looked over at him. Cloud rolled his eyes and opened his text.

Class went on as it usually did with the exception of Cloud trying his damnedest to focus on the lesson instead of the brunet beside him. His mind wandered back to Leon, of course, and how he said he would have _torn off_ Tony's head if he was going through what Cloud was. This suggested that he must have some sort of violent streak, but the blond couldn't imagine Leon showing that sort of aggression based on what he's seen of the brunet thus far. He seemed too… composed. But that storm looming in his eyes – it scared Cloud just as much as it intrigued him. When Leon would look at him he found himself lost in that storm and it took a great deal of effort to come back to himself again.

Cloud was so lost in his thoughts of the brunet that it almost startled him when he heard his emotionless voice. "Leon." he introduced himself to the teacher.

"Welcome to Garden Brook, Leon." the teacher said with a smile. "How has your first day been so far?"

"Fine." Leon answered seemingly unimpressed that he was being addressed in front of the class. Cloud looked over at Leon in a daze and sighed pleasantly at the sound of his voice. The blond was again startled when Leon appeared to have noticed this sigh and looked over at him. Cloud clenched his jaw and looked back down at his textbook hoping that Leon would just let that one go. He thanked whichever God was watching as Leon turned his attention back to the front of the classroom.

"Have you met any new friends yet?" the teacher probed in a friendly manner. Ms. Sonny was like that; almost too friendly for a teacher.

Leon's expression didn't change. Cloud could tell without looking that he was hoping this interrogation would end soon. "Yes." Cloud's heart skipped a beat and he smiled inwardly.

"That's wonderful! I see you're the strong-silent type so I'll get off your back." Ms. Sonny smiled again then she began her class.

Cloud's heart was almost racing in his chest. _He thinks of me as a friend._ Cloud fought back the smile that was threatening to plaster itself across his face. He chanced a sideways glance towards the brunet. Leon was leafing through his textbook to the page the teacher instructed. Cloud watched his smooth, masculine hands work the pages and couldn't help a small grin. Brantley nudged him again in the arm to bring his mind back the class. Cloud smiled at Brantley, who rolled his eyes, and Cloud continued his struggle to focus on today's biology lesson.

-.-.-.-

Unfortunately for Cloud, he and Leon did not share the same class for last period and after Cloud showed Leon to his next class and made his way to his own, he silently prayed that they would meet up at their lockers before leaving for home.

Last period seemed to last forever as Cloud watched the second hand on the clock tick by second by second. He wanted to rush to his locker and take his time packing up in hopes of being there when Leon got there. He anticipated the bell for school's end and practically flew out of the classroom and through the halls. Once he reached his locker he looked around to see if Leon was anywhere nearby before he opened his locker and crouched down to begin his drawn out process of packing for home.

Several minutes later he noticed the brunet's presence beside him and grinned. "Glad you found your way on your own." Cloud said, not trusting himself to look up without smiling stupidly.

"Think I'm getting the hang of it." Leon responded as he opened his own locker and began taking books out of his bag.

"That's good." Cloud said. He wanted to say something to Leon, but didn't know what that something was. "Enjoy class?" _Damn it, I'm pathetic…_

Leon looked up at the blond with expressionless eyes. "Had a blast…"

Cloud raised his eyebrows and stood up. "Really?" Surely math couldn't be all that…

"No." Leon replied. "I was being sarcastic." Leon closed his locker and swung his bag onto his shoulder. "Do we have any of the same classes tomorrow?" Leon asked, pulling out his schedule and handing it to Cloud.

Cloud took the schedule and pretended to scan it although he already knew the answer. "Just one. Gym last period." His heart sank slightly as he handed the schedule back to Leon. "Guess we won't be seeing much of one another then." Leon nodded as he shoved his schedule back into his pocket without a word. "Do you think you'll be able to find your way around tomorrow?" Cloud asked, desperate to keep Leon talking so he wouldn't leave right away.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Leon responded. The brunet was making it very difficult to keep a conversation.

Cloud's mind sighed as he realized that he had nothing. His mind was almost frantic to not have the brunet leave, but he couldn't keep standing there scrapping for things to say without looking like an idiot. He was going to have to let Leon go at some point. This realization caused the blond to frown inwardly. "Okay. See you tomorrow, then."

"See you at lunch." Leon responded.

"Yeah, you know where to find me." Cloud couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He was contemplating asking Leon if he wanted to grab a bite to eat at a nearby diner, but thought better of it.

Leon nodded and turned around to leave before stopping and looked back at the blond. "Thanks for your help today."

Cloud smiled. "Don't mention it."

-.-.-.-

Cloud kicked a stone as he made his way home from school. The pebble bounced off the contours of the pavement before coming to a rest before getting kicked again by the distracted blond. His mind was yet again focused on thoughts about Leon. He never thought this morning before he headed off to school that he would meet such a beautiful guy, let alone a beautiful guy that he could maybe even call a friend.

Cloud smiled faintly at this thought as an eager excitement grew steadily in his chest. Despite everything that went wrong today, it was a pretty decent day. There was just something about Leon that captivated the blond in every way imaginable. He was completely taken by surprise at his appearance when he first laid eyes on him at the principal's office. This thought brought up others that had Cloud lost in a whirlwind of questions. Why was Leon so adamant at not being called by his given name? He recalled how firm Leon was with both the secretary and Sephiroth in insisting that his name was Leon. Even when Cloud asked about it Leon simply brushed off the question as a private matter.

There had to be a story behind Leon's jaded composure as well. The boy simply did not show any type of emotion outside of the mild irritation of trying to find his class before meeting Cloud and, of course, being called _Squall_. His face remained nonchalant throughout the day. His eyes remained calm as well, although Cloud picked up on the storm brewing inside a couple of times which had him mesmerized. It almost seemed as though Leon was hiding something, but Cloud dismissed this thought. He couldn't start being suspicious over someone he had just met. That was no way to start a friendship. Leon probably just had a solid wall around him which kept the world out; that's how he remained so neutral to the world around him.

Cloud took a left turn onto his street as he continued to think about the brunet. Leon did let slip a potential violent side to him. Cloud wondered what that meant; how Leon would have torn Tony's head off. He was just talking, the blond assured himself; idle threats are uttered all the time. But that storm in his eyes, it brewed the strongest he's seen when Leon spoke about Tony.

_This means nothing…_ Cloud thought to himself. _I'm reading too much into everything._ Cloud kicked another stone as he drew closer to home. _Besides, even if he is violent… as long as he's not violent towards me I don't care._

Cloud reached into his pocket and drew out his keys. Once inside he looked around for any indication that his mother was home. Her purse wasn't by the front door nor was her shoes at the entrance. Cloud let out a relieved sigh. He wanted to change his torn shirt before she saw that he had been into another fight. He dropped his bag in the dining room before heading towards the stairs.

"For Shiva's sake, Cloud!" his mother snapped, startling him. Cloud stopped his retreat and rolled his eyes, keeping his back to his mother. "I can't afford to keep buying you clothes if you're going to keep bringing them home looking like they took a trip through the lawnmower." Cloud turned around slowly and looked at his mother who was digging through her purse with a drink nearby. "Where did that shirt come from anyhow? I didn't buy that." she continued, retrieving a bottle of pills from the bottom of her purse.

Cloud sighed as he eyed the bottle, trying to get a look at what he was in for tonight. "That's because you didn't buy it. I did." he said sighing when he saw the label. _Tonight isn't going to be a good night…_ "I buy my own clothes now." His mother removed the cap from the bottle before popping a couple of the pills down her throat followed by the coppery liquid. "Isn't it a little early to be inebriated?"

His mother glared at her son. "Just like your fucking father…" she said in an accusatory manor. She had obviously been drinking for awhile. "Before I know it, you're going to run off and leave me all by myself."

Cloud sighed heavily and ran his hand down his face. "Why do you keep saying that? I'm not going any-"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Cloud." she cut Cloud off. "Your father gave me that same line a few times too." She continued to rummage through her purse.

_Can't even _begin_ to understand why…_ Cloud thought to himself. "By the way, I'm fine." Cloud announced, doubting it even crossed her mind that he may be hurt.

"You're fine? Oh, that's wonderful, Cloud." she practically snarled. "As long as you're fine, the world is right as rain!" He voice grew more accusatory. "Meanwhile, I'm having a shitty day and no one gives two fucks about me."

Cloud sighed again. There was no use trying to reason with her or ask her what had her so upset. Everyday was something different. When she drank or self-medicated, everything was wrong for her. She continued to drink and take her pills to make it all better, in turn, making it all worse. In the early years Cloud always did his best to help, even if it was just listening to what she had to say. After his father left them a few years back Cloud began to realize that there was no use trying to help. His mother was a drama queen and she would probably implode if there wasn't something wrong in her life at one point or another. That's probably why she created problems with her drinking and drug use. The first year was the toughest after his father left; she always blamed everyone else for her issues, but after awhile it all became Cloud's fault. He didn't find it so tough anymore; he just stopped caring.

"Okay, mom…" Cloud said finally. "I'm going to go do my homework now." He brushed her murmured accusations off as he headed upstairs to change his shirt before he realized he left his bag downstairs. He pulled off his shirt in front of his full-length mirror and inspected the bruises that had developed that day. He touched on particularly dark on over his ribs before making his way over to his closet and pulling on a another shirt.

He headed back down the stairs to retrieve his bag just as an object connected with his head followed by yelling. He put a hand over the side of his face and saw a coaster settle on the ground at his feet before looking over at his now enraged mother. "You ungrateful little bastard!" she screamed. "You think you can just prance around here like you own the damn place while not giving a rat's ass about your own damn mother!"

Cloud rubbed his head before bending over to pick up the coaster. "You're drunk…" he said before her screaming cut him off.

"Drinking is the only thing keeping me sane these days because I have a faggot for a son and an asshole for a husband!" She threw herself back onto the couch and covered her face with her hands. "What the hell did I do to deserve this shitty life?!"

Cloud bit his lip and willed himself to keep quiet. He had learned to let these things slide off his back; it was the only thing keeping him sane. He quietly walked over to the coffee table and placed the coaster back where it belonged before exiting the room to grab his bag from the dining room. Before he headed back up the stairs he spared one more glance at the inebriated woman and frowned. He used to care. He used to console her at times like this before discovering that it only gave her an opportunity to complain more and create new issues in her head. A part of him wanted to go over and sit beside her until she calmed down; experience told him that it would only make things worse. She'd pass out soon enough, he was sure, and he'd get an hour of quiet study time in before her pills kicked in and gave her endless drive and energy. He shifted his bag's weight on his back and shook his head as he headed to his room.

-o-o-o-

Reminder: Please review? Besides absolutely loving to write, reviews are my favourite part of posting! It means a lot to know what people think of my fics, good or bad. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Wow, time really flies when you have a MILLION-ZILLION things to do! I haven't had too much of an opportunity to write as of lately, so I've decided to eat up one of my buffer chapters in hopes that I can bounce back and recoup. I suppose this is what happens when you have too many things on the go.

Anyhoo – I make mention of football in this chapter. I wanted to clarify that I mean American football, not soccer... :o) Ugh, some people - so crazy…

R&R! Pleeease? But most importantly: enjoy! XD

-o-o-o-

Cloud had completed most of his homework before he began to hear his mother shuffle around downstairs, slamming one thing or another. He ran a hand down his face and sighed heavily, deciding to give up trying to focus on his school work and flung himself across his bed.

He looked up at the ceiling and stretched his arms over his head. What remained of his homework could wait until morning; he had trouble concentrating on his textbooks while battling the frustration of hearing his mother throw tantrum after tantrum downstairs. It wasn't long before she started cursing about not being able to find the remote control.

Cloud sighed heavily again and let his mind wander. A few hours remained before it was late enough to call it an early night. He wondered what to do in the meantime. His mind drifted to Leon again; this didn't surprise him. He wondered what the brunet was doing right now.

He didn't know how long he was daydreaming before his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his mother calling out his name. He tried to decipher whether she sounded angry or bitterly sweet. These distinctions shouldn't be too hard to determine, but were so very important to him and how he would approach her. He swung his legs off of his bed and got up in one fluid motion.

As he headed downstairs he found his mother in the kitchen by the stove. _Trying to burn down the house?_ he thought to himself; he wouldn't have been surprised at all if that was really her true intent.

"Cloud, honey, come here a minute?" she said. He noticed her foot tapping erratically on the floor; a side effect of the drug she had taken earlier.

He approached her side and looked over at the stove. She had a stir-fry simmering in a pan. It took him a moment to register this in his head before he went on guard again. "You cooked supper?" he asked carefully, trying to keep his tone casual.

"Yep!" she chirped, looking back at him. "I got this urge to cook and thought we could have a nice family dinner." She beamed at her son then turned back to dinner. "Go sit down; it's ready."

Cloud took a seat and began contemplating whether or not this meal would be safe to eat. Last time he ate something his mother made he ended up high – later finding out it was 'magic meatloaf'. "Smells good." he said cautiously.

His mother brought two plates over to the table and the two of them began eating quietly. After every bite she would look up at Cloud with a proud smile and he would feign a smile back. A bit into dinner his mother decided to break the silence.

"It's been awhile since we've eaten together."

Cloud nodded and looked down at his food. There was a reason for that, a _good_ reason and he was having a hard time figuring out what this was all about. "'S'nice." he said lowly.

"Hey, listen," she began. "I need you to do me a favour."

And there it was… the reason why she was all of a sudden being normal. Cloud refused to look up from his now empty plate and twisted the hem of his shirt in both hands. He didn't want to say anything.

"I need you to go out and get some… stuff for me."

"No." Cloud shook his head, keeping his eyes down. "Not unless it's anything but drugs or alcohol."

There was silence before his mother sighed. "_They_ know me now, Cloud. I can't go-"

"Good!" he shouted out before she could finish her sentence.

Cloud watched his mother's face change from a startled surprise expression to one that held extreme anger. Her face turned red and her eyes looked as though they were trying to pierce through his head. "I beg your pardon?" she hissed.

Cloud got up from his chair and took his plate to the sink. "I said 'Good'. If you want your fucking drugs you get them yourself. I'm not a damn mule and if you get caught by _them_ you may have a chance at being normal again." He bit his tongue. Normally he was passive aggressive, almost to the point of not caring about what his mother was up to, but tonight he couldn't suppress the anger that now filled his mind.

"Normal?" she shouted back at him. "How the fuck can I be normal with a faggot son and no husband?" She threw her plate at him, barely missing his head before tossing the table on to its side and storming out of the kitchen. Cloud took a deep breath after watching her leave then picked up the pieces of the now broken plate. He threw them in the sink then decided it would be safer for him tonight to stay locked up in his bedroom.

He climbed the stairs and flung himself on his bed like earlier after locking his door behind him. He rubbed at his eyes in attempt to ease his anger. When his breathing returned to normal he stretched his arms over his head and stared up at the ceiling. He started to feel tears prickling in his eyes and cursed himself for letting her get to him so badly. It wasn't her words that stung; it was the supposedly nice evening that was ripped out from under his feet. He held his reservations when she was nice but he somehow always seemed to wonder whether this time would be different than every other time.

Why would it be? She only cared about one thing in the world and sadly that wasn't even herself. It was her drugs. Where was she going to get them? Did she have enough money stashed to purchase her next _vacation_? Cloud sighed as the last bit of anger left his body and he felt almost jaded as he focused on his breathing. Jaded like _him_. He wondered to himself if this was how Leon felt most of the time. He would never let someone else control his emotions, that is, if he _had_ emotions at all. If Leon was in his position he probably would have looked upon his mother with nonchalant eyes then glided passed her as though she wasn't even present.

Those nonchalant eyes… Cloud found himself almost captivated by them even in his own thoughts. The casual yet forceful stare that could move mountains, he was sure. Move them without a hint of effort. They moved him, Cloud, and he found it hard to stop thinking about the way he felt when Leon looked at him. The storm brewing silently within those orbs which intensified when he was supposedly feeling something, again, if that was at all possible for Leon. They moved him in ways that he never thought possible from a simple glance, making him feel things he's never felt so strongly before. Almost enough to… Cloud took a deep breath, closing his eyes as if that would make the image of Leon disappear. He almost felt light and giddy but the mystery behind Leon was too compelling to indulge in such happy emotions. It made his body react in ways he was almost ashamed of.

He felt a tingling sensation flutter throughout and knew exactly what was going on with his body. He rubbed his throat as a distraction finding that it was instead pleasantly sensitive to his own touch. His breath hitched slightly as his hand ran down towards his chest. He allowed a low moan before the memory of what Tony had said to Leon that day at school interrupted his thoughts. _By the way he was just looking at you, I'm sure he has just filled up on mental jerk-off material for the next few months._

Cloud's eyes flew open and his hand flew out to his side, reaching as far away from his body as possible. Immediately he began to feel regret at where he was going with his train of thoughts. Even though no one would know what he would have done, let alone who he was thinking of, the thought of actually doing _that_ shamed him to no end. He rolled over onto his stomach and pulled a pillow under his head. He knew it would be a while before he fell asleep, but when he did he was lost in the blue-grey storm again.

-.-.-.-

Cloud sat in class tapping his foot restlessly as he watched the clock's second hand tick infuriatingly slow towards lunch time. He swore he could count to four before the clock registered another second. The first half of his day went about without a hitch. He all but flew out of his house that morning both relieved to be away from his mother and excited to see Leon again. It wasn't until he arrived at school when he remembered that they only had one class together today and that was last period gym. He would have to wait until lunch before he saw the brunet again. He lingered close to his locker for as long as possible without looking stupid in hopes of running into Leon, but Leon never showed up.

_Now I'm a stalker…_ Cloud thought to himself as he tapped his pen against the page of his textbook. He scowled at the clock which, he swore, just took a second backwards. He had fifteen minutes to go before he would race to the cafeteria.

Cloud was jolted out of his daydream by the sound of the lunch bell and he launched himself out of his seat, collecting his books and raced out of the classroom. He offered a rushed apology to the boy he nearly knocked over and slowed his pace considerably. He had only known Leon for a day, but somehow he felt as though he was beginning to feel a little something towards the guy. _Attraction, that's it… right?_ he thought to himself. It had to be it. He barely knew the guy.

He entered the cafeteria without making his usual stop to his locker and took his usual seat. The cafeteria was almost empty as the other students probably didn't have time to make it there yet. He felt a little foolish for his haste but shrugged it off inwardly as three familiar faces joined him at his table.

"How the hell did you get here so fast?" Xander asked, pulling his lunch out of his bag.

Cloud shrugged outwardly this time and took a bite of his food. "I was hungry." he offered.

"Hungry for love?" Brantley smirked as he nodded his head towards the door of the eating hall.

Cloud looked over to find a very jaded looking brunet making his way to their seat. Halfway across the caf someone reached out for Leon's arm and pulled him close to say something. Cloud looked at the person interrupting his time with his new friend and couldn't help but feel a jolt of jealousy and curiousity flood his mind. What did he want with Leon?

Leon nodded and said something to the guy who let go of his arm, words not reaching Cloud's ears as he strained to listen. The guy said something else and Leon nodded again before making his way to Cloud and his friends.

Brad, Xander, and Brantley said quick 'hello's and' hey's with a nod, which Leon returned politely before taking a seat across from Cloud, courtesy of Xander who shuffled down to create such a spot.

"How is day two coming?" Cloud asked, relieved that he was able to control himself from blurting out his other question, though his mind still wondered what that guy said to Leon.

"Alright, I suppose." Leon answered, pulling his lunch out of his bag, eyes briefly glancing up to Cloud's before dropping back down to his food.

Cloud was at a loss for what to say. He wanted to know who that guy was. _I have no right to be jealous…_ Cloud thought to himself. It wasn't like Leon belonged to him. That, and he was straight so he would never belong to him. But damn, he was so gorgeous. The memory of what he had almost done last night while thinking of Leon filled his mind and he prayed he wasn't blushing as much as it felt like he was.

Xander and Brantley filled the silence with idle chit-chat while they all ate. Leon would occasionally look up from his food and contribute a 'yeah' or 'mmm hmm'. Cloud just focused on keeping his heart rate down somewhat to a normal speed.

"Why so quiet?" Brantley asked Cloud, drawing Cloud out from his inner thoughts.

"Hmm?" Cloud looked over to Brantley and noticed that Leon was also looking at him. "Oh… nothing." he offered as an answer hoping that Brantley wouldn't call him out on it.

But Brantley was Brantley.

"Your mother go psycho on you again last night?"

Leon's eyes focused more intently on Cloud at this new development, the storm in his eyes swirling a little more than they had been earlier.

Cloud looked into Brantley's eyes with a silent plea to just drop it. Brantley nodded shortly and took another bite of his food. Cloud looked back at Leon, who was still watching his face closely. He felt exposed like an open book when Leon looked at him like that and he hoped that Leon wasn't able to read him too well. He was grateful when Leon looked back down at his lunch, eyes returning to their usual nonchalant selves.

After a few moments of silence Cloud decided that things were a little too awkward to bear. "I'm really looking forward to gym."

"I heard its tackle football today." Xander said excitedly.

"Maybe we can take Tony out today." Brantley said with a grin. "Like, really tackle him hard."

"Don't." Cloud warned, glaring at Brantley.

"What would that accomplish?" Brad added to the conversation. He was really the voice of reason out of the three of them.

"Pain." Brantley said with a smug smile.

"I don't want any of you three getting involved." Cloud said sternly, shifting his eyes from Brantley to Brad then to Xander. "I mean it." He finished his hard stare off with Brantley again.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Brantley huffed.

"But he'd deserve it." Xander added before Cloud shot him an angry glare.

"Cloud's right." Leon said, surprising all four boys with his contribution. "You three shouldn't get involved. It would only make matters worse for Cloud and yourselves, as well."

Cloud felt as though his mouth must have been hanging open in awe. The other boys simply nodded at Leon and agreed; Cloud was shocked. Maybe he wasn't used to having someone reiterate his point or maybe Leon just looked so damn gorgeous doing it, but he was momentarily stunned. This didn't go unnoticed by the brunet as Leon looked over at the blond, eyes as jaded as ever, but a silent question flickering across the orbs.

Cloud forced his mouth shut and shook his head. "Thanks."

"For what?" Leon asked without missing a beat.

Cloud looked down at his food and bit his lower lip. He knew that now would be the time to say something, but he had nothing to offer. He felt gratitude towards Leon and expressing it slipped out unintended. He couldn't explain why to Leon because he wasn't even sure of why to begin with. It's just what he felt at the time.

"I'll see you in gym." Leon said, pulling Cloud out from his jumbled thoughts.

The blond looked up at Leon with a confused look and tilted his head. "Where are you going?" He mentally slapped himself for being so overbearing, but the question, like the one previous, just slipped out.

Leon's eyes remained fixed on Cloud's as the bell rang to announce the end of lunch as though it was answering Cloud's question for Leon. "Class." Leon added to the automatic answer.

Cloud felt stupid. He was looking forward to lunch with Leon so badly and did nothing but make a fool of himself. His heart sank and Cloud shook his head, pulling a fake smile to try and redeem himself before Leon took off. "Right. Of course."

Leon's detached stare made Cloud feel two inches tall. The brunet hadn't removed his eyes from Cloud and Cloud wished he knew what Leon was thinking. There was never any readable expression on the boy's face and it made it really hard to know how to respond when Leon looked at him like that. Cloud opted that the safest bet would be to pack up the remains of his lunch and head to class.

"Need help finding your next class?" Cloud asked, breaking the uneasy quiet that consumed their table.

Leon shook his head and stood up from his seat. "No, I have class with someone I met in my last class. He'll show me where to go." Leon said, looking over his shoulder at the guy he had spoken to before making to their lunch table. Said boy was standing by his table watching Leon, probably waiting for him to join him.

"Oh, okay." Cloud said, hoping that his disappointment wasn't too noticeable in his voice. "See you in gym, then."

Leon nodded before looking back at the other three with a brief nod then made his way to the other guy.

"Cloud?" Xander asked nudging the blond on the shoulder.

Cloud looked back at Xander then to the other two boys before Xander continued.

"You've got it pretty bad."

"Got what, exactly?" Cloud asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"The love bug." Brantley chuckled with a wide smile.

Cloud looked back towards Leon and the other boy as they left the cafeteria. He shook his head and rolled his eyes for show. "Whatever."

Brantley laughed and slung his arm around Cloud's shoulder. "I don't blame ya, kid. I'm straight and even _I_ think he's gorgeous."

Cloud shoved Brantley away from him playfully and sighed. "Shut up, Brant. No one cares what you think."

Xander laughed along with Brantley and Brad smiled at the boys. The four left the cafeteria and Cloud decided right then and there to make more of an effort to hide his own feeling. If these three idiots could see right through him then it was likely that Leon could too. He was not going to risk scaring Leon away.

The rest of the day went on as slow as ever. Cloud wasn't sure if it was due to his anticipation for gym class with Leon or because this algebra class was incredibly tedious. Either case, Cloud sighed with relief when the bell sounded for the last class of the day. He rushed to the gym and cautiously made his way into the locker room. It was never the safest place to be when the whole school knew you were gay.

Only a few others had made it there as Cloud grabbed a locker and began pulling out his gym clothes. Moments later he was jointed by Brantley, Brad, and Xander. The four started idle chit-chat to distract themselves from the process of undressing in front of their classmates.

Cloud pulled off his shirt and hung it up in the locker as a familiar brunet dropped his bag in the bench between the two rows of lockers, opening one across from Cloud. The blond immediately felt self conscious as he searched for his gym shirt.

"Hey." Leon said with a nod to the four of them.

"Hey." Cloud returned after the other three. "Glad you found the gym."

"Eric showed me." Leon said, pulling off his own shirt.

Cloud's mouth went dry. If he had thought Leon was gorgeous before then he needed a new, stronger word to describe Leon half naked. It was apparent through Leon's clothes that he was strong, but the muscle definition in his chest, arms, and stomach made Cloud's own strong physique look meek in comparison. He wasn't overly built, but it was obvious that if he didn't have lean muscle then he would be a scrawny guy. It suited him beautifully.

Cloud was knocked from his thoughts by a swift kick in the shin courtesy of Brad. Cloud shook his head and pulled on his shirt, relieved that Leon wasn't paying attention to him. Brad only grinned as he pulled on his own shirt.

"Eric is the guy from the cafeteria?" Cloud asked, testing his voice.

"Yeah. We have a lot of the same classes." Leon answered as he pulled off his pants and replaced them with his track pants.

"That's good then." Cloud nodded, changing his own pants. He momentarily froze as Tony and another one of his friends entered the change room. The blond quickly locked his locker and straightened up.

Tony smirked at Cloud as he claimed a locker on the other side of the change room. Brantley and Xander glanced over at Tony before shifting their focus on Cloud. Brad just stood by them with his arms folded across his chest.

Leon locked his locker then turned towards the others. Cloud nodded, hoping that he wasn't blushing before they left the change room.

The gym coach started the class with a short lecture of the upcoming events before ordering the boys outside for three warm up laps around the track. Brad, Brantley, Xander, Cloud, and Leon stuck together, talking as they ran.

It wasn't long before Tony made pace with them and grinned at Leon. "Hey, you wanna race?"

Leon looked over at Tony with an indifferent look then turned back in front of him. "Not particularly."

"Come on." Tony urged, grin widening. "It'll be fun. Let the ladies eat our dust."

"If I win you never refer to them as ladies again?" Leon suggested, not removing his eyes from the track ahead of him.

"Deal." Tony nodded. "And if I win you come to my party this weekend."

Cloud scowled at Tony's persistence in gaining Leon as a friend. It irritated him to no end how Tony seemed to have taken an interest in the brunet and not knowing his motivations made him greatly uneasy.

"Yeah, fine…" Leon agreed, voice sounding bored. "Call it."

"Ready and…" Tony seemed genuinely pleased that he was separating Leon from Cloud and his friends. "Go!" He took off ahead of the others. Leon remained at his steady pace.

"What are you doing? Go!" Xander practically shouted.

"Give him a minute." Leon responded. Tony was already around the bend and Leon hadn't even started racing yet.

"You don't have to do this." Cloud said. At that moment Leon took off after Tony. Cloud was taken aback by the speed Leon had seemed to gain instantly. Leon was able to pick up an incredible speed in no time and was starting to gain ground on Tony. The other boys seemed impressed with Leon's speed as they watch him race towards Tony.

It wasn't long before Leon overtook Tony and bolted towards the finish. By the time Cloud and the others caught up Tony was chatting happily with Leon, obviously out of breath.

"I can't believe how fast you are." Tony grinned. "That was awesome." He looked up and saw the others walking towards them. "You win. I won't call them ladies anymore." He was pulled away by his friend leaving Leon and the others alone.

Leon remained quiet as he watched Cloud make his way to his side. "Good work." Cloud smiled.

Leon shrugged and sighed.

"Thanks for that." Cloud tried again. He was shocked to find that Leon didn't seem out of breath in the slightest.

"Someone's got to put him in his place." Leon responded quietly.

"Not really. I just ignore him." Cloud chose to keep a lighthearted tone.

"Subtle hints, Cloud." Leon's velvet jaded voice sounded before being interrupted by the coach's harsh tone calling the boys in. "Subtle hints." He walked towards the gathering, Cloud, Brad, Brantley, and Xander following close behind him.

_Subtle hints?_ Cloud asked himself in his head. _What was that supposed to mean?_ He shrugged it off when the coach began explaining the rules of the game. They were playing tackle football. Two random teams were selected then they took to their end of the field. Leon ended up on Cloud's team with Brad, and Brantley and Xander were on Tony's team, must to their displeasure. Cloud was grateful.

The game started out normal enough. Cloud did his best to avoid being anywhere near Tony and Leon was already proving to be quite the athlete. It wasn't long before other guys started passing him the ball more and cheering him on as he scored more for their team. Leon made it a point to keep passing the ball so it wouldn't feel as though he was hogging it. He passed to Cloud who scored another touchdown. It was Cloud's turn to get cheered on.

A half an hour later the other team began to get frustrated, other than Xander and Brantley, who were thoroughly enjoying the game. Hits were getting harder and those who attempted to take Leon down swore out loud earning their team a ten yard penalty each time. Cloud didn't miss the sneers that Tony was sending his way and made it a point to continue to stay out of his way.

In the next play the ball was snapped to the quarterback who passed the ball to Cloud. Cloud snatched the ball and scanned for an opening towards the goal line. He was so absorbed with his next move that he didn't realize Tony was making a beeline for him. He took off running and dodged a couple of people who jumped at him before he noticed that Tony was on his tail.

He kicked up his speed and prayed that he crossed the goal line before Tony caught up to him. He knew Tony was gaining ground on him though by the sound of his evil chuckle. "You're going down, fag."

Cloud chose to ignore this comment as he kept focus on making it to the goal line. "I'm going to make sure it hurts." Tony taunted from behind. "Faggots don't belong in a man's sport."

Cloud's breath was coming in ragged breaths now as he fought to try and pick up just a little more speed. His adrenaline was causing his heart to pound in his ears so he didn't notice the loud crunching sound behind him. He was too grateful that he was still on his own feet about to score another touchdown to wonder why he wasn't eating grass yet.

As he crossed the goal line he heard his team cheer and he looked behind him to find out what happened to Tony. His jaw dropped to the ground at the sight of Tony laying face down on the ground with Leon getting up from his tackle. Tony looked to be in a little pain as he rolled over to his back with a wide grin.

"Teach me to hit like that sometime?" Cloud heard him ask Leon.

"Anytime." Leon said, not bothering to offer Tony a hand up as he walked back to the rest of the team.

Cloud couldn't help but smile at the thought that Leon had just saved his ass from unnecessary pain. He tossed the ball to a teammate and ran over to Leon.

"Thanks for that." he grinned.

"Teamwork, that's all it is." Leon said, his eyes not showing any emotion at a job well done.

"Looked like he went down hard." Cloud added, attempting to hide his smile. He couldn't help but notice Xander and Brantley laughing, even if it was their team that was losing badly.

"He should have kept his mouth shut, then." Leon replied, getting into position for their next play.

Cloud nodded and sighed. It was true, Leon was playing the game, but he couldn't help but wonder if he hit Tony just a little harder because of what he said to Cloud. The blond decided not to get his hopes up and took his next position.

Tony had an evil smile playing across his face which made Cloud incredibly uncomfortable. He decided to ignore it; he'd deal with whatever when the time came.

The ball was snapped and the play resumed as though nothing had happened. He felt Tony's eyes on him but chose to continue to ignore him. Tony got the ball and passed it to a team mate who bolted towards the goal line. Cloud started following the guy with the ball when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Leon was charging Tony again. He stopped in his tracks and watched as Leon drew closer to the unsuspecting Tony before a loud thud was heard and the coach blew his whistle.

Leon plowed right into Tony sending him to the ground. Leon hovered over Tony and tilted his head. "Lesson one: expect the unexpected." he said, completely void of emotion as Tony groaned on the ground.

"New guy!" the coach shouted. "You're out of the game. Go!"

Leon stood up and brushed his hands against his shirt and watched as Tony rolled on the ground, clutching his stomach. He looked up at the coach and nodded, expression portraying nothing of what he was thinking as he trotted to the bench. "Subtle hints." he said to Cloud as he passed. Cloud beamed.

The rest of the class when on like normal. With Leon sitting out and Tony taken to the doctor's office, nothing noteworthy took place.

In the changing room the boys were talking excitedly about the 'new guy' and how cool it was to see Tony actually get hurt. The chatter quieted down as Leon entered the room with Cloud, Brad, Brantley, and Xander.

"Shouldn't get involved?" Brantley smiled at Leon. "Not that that wasn't the coolest thing I've ever seen in school, but practice what you preach, ya?" Brantley slapped Leon on the back.

"I agreed with Cloud." Leon said as he began to strip. "He said you three shouldn't get involved. Cloud didn't say anything about me."

"Leon, you knew what I meant." Cloud shook his head. He tried to sound disappointed but he was far too wired to succeed.

Leon looked over at Cloud with indifferent eyes. "I knew what you _said_, Cloud."

"I don't want you getting into any trouble on my behalf." Cloud replied back a little too quickly.

Leon huffed though his expression remained unchanged. His eyes searched Cloud's and he seemed to find what he was looking for. "It's what friends do." He looked over at Brad, Brantley, and Xander before making his way to the showers.

-o-o-o-

Ha! I'm having a lot of fun writing Leon. I hope you're having fun reading him. Tell me about it, ya? Don't make me beg again.

...

Pleeease? XD


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Not a whole lot happens in this chapter but we get to witness a little heart-to-heart between Cloud and Leon. I must say that this was the chapter I've enjoyed writing the most so far. I'm hoping for more regular updates in the future now that a project I was worried about is complete and I really need to work on rebuilding my buffer for this fic, but none of that should concern you. :o) Enough rambling – please enjoy!

-o-o-o-

Once cleaned up from gym, Cloud and Leon walked back to their lockers in silence. Cloud had a million questions for Leon but he was afraid Leon would brush them off as nothing important. He wanted to maintain the reasoning in his head that Leon actually cared about him and he wanted to hurt Tony because of it, so he chose to remain quiet.

They packed their bags surrounded by more silence. It was almost awkward, but somehow felt comfortable. Neither had anything to say, or in Cloud's case, nothing he wanted to bring up at the moment, and they closed their lockers in unison. It was Leon who eventually broke the silence.

"See you tomorrow?"

"I'll be here." Cloud answered, slinging his bag over a shoulder as he stood facing Leon. Once again he felt the urge to stop Leon from leaving but had nothing to go on without seeming desperate.

"Good night, then." Leon said, nodding as he turned to make his leave.

"Wait." Cloud started. Damn – what was he going to say? He blurted out the command without having anything to request.

Leon stopped and turned towards Cloud, his eyes fixing themselves on Cloud's as he waited for the blond to continue. Cloud paused and he was hoping that his own confusion wasn't as obvious as it felt. He cleared his throat and creased his eyebrows. He tried not to remind himself that Leon was still waiting.

"I'm in no rush to get back home." Cloud began. He steadied his voice and prayed that it wouldn't crack. "I was going to go grab a bite to eat at this diner close by. I was wondering if you would keep me company." _Thank you Shiva – that sounded normal enough._

Leon shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tilted his head. He looked down at his phone for the time and nodded. "Sounds good."

Cloud's eyes brightened as he smiled at Leon. "It's not like a date, just in case you're wondering." he blurted out without even thinking. Immediately he resented his failed sense of self-censorship and mentally back-handed himself.

His flinch must have been apparent as Leon tilted his head again and furrowed his eyebrows. "I wasn't wondering that at all."

Cloud looked down to the ground and sighed. "Umm… good. I'm sorry." Cloud stumbled over his words and shook his head. "I-I didn't want you to be uncomfortable… just in case… to make it clear… yeah…"

Leon let out a huff of air that sounded amused, and probably was meant to, but it was hard to tell when his expression didn't offer any emotion. "Cloud, it's okay." Leon took a couple of steps towards Cloud. "You don't need to explain yourself, much less specify that it's not a date when we decide to grab a bite to eat." Leon rested his weight on one leg and rolled his shoulders. "Stop being so guarded. It's unnecessary."

Cloud nodded and willed his mind to stop beating him up inside. He tried for a smile but failed miserably, wondering what expression was on his face at that moment. He hitched his bag more comfortably on his shoulder and nodded again for a lack of anything better to do. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want-" he stopped. He had nothing to say.

"Let's eat." Leon suggested, breaking the momentary silence.

Cloud smiled more easily this time and turned to lead the way to the diner.

The diner was only a ten minute walk from the school and the boys trekked it in silence. The silence this time was a lot more uncomfortable than the walk to their lockers from gym. Cloud still felt incredibly stupid for allowing himself to blurt out whatever he was thinking. Leon was being cool enough about it, though. It was a strange feeling; he felt like he needed to be on guard but when he did slip up Leon took it with grace. He said it the day before and he believed it more after today: Leon just gets him. He wondered how far he could go before Leon backed away completely. Stupid thought: delete memory? Confirm.

Cloud kicked at a stone and watched as it bounced a few paces ahead of them. Once they caught up he went to take another kick at it but Leon got to it first. "S'on my side." he explained as the stone bounced across the contours of the pavement. Cloud grinned and watched at the stone settled on his side of the sidewalk and kicked it ahead. They continued with this little game until they reached their destination. Cloud was smiling the entire time and Leon's face remained impassive.

Cloud reached out and opened the door to the diner, gesturing for Leon to go on in ahead. Once inside they took a seat at a booth by the window and picked up the menus.

"The food's okay here. I come here because it's close." Cloud said, attempting to ease the tension in his own body.

Leon's eyes glanced up from his menu and caught Cloud's. There was a moment where everything stood still and the silence encased them again before Leon nodded and broke their stare, looking back down to the menu. Cloud wondered if it was a mistake to say anything at that moment. Leon's reactions, or lack thereof, were confusing and incredibly hard to decipher. He had no idea what must have been going through the brunet's head and in trying to reason with himself he figured he'd take Leon's advice and try to be less guarded.

"Thanks for keeping me company." Cloud started, trying to sound at ease. "You didn't have anywhere to be, did you?"

"No." Leon said while shaking his head. His eyes left the menu as he folded it and placed it back down on the table. He leaned back against the booth and met Cloud's eyes once again. "No plans tonight other than homework."

Cloud put his menu down as well and began fiddling with his shirt. "Yeah, I suppose there's always that."

"Why don't you want to go home?" Leon asked Cloud, surprising the blond with such a probing question to start.

"It's not that." Cloud answered after a moment to recompose himself.

"You said you weren't in any rush to get back home." Leon reinstated. "And you looked like you really needed to get out and do something." He paused for a moment to search Cloud's expression. The blond was obviously attempting to distract himself with his shirt. "Am I wrong?"

Cloud bit his lower lip and chose not to give any definite answer.

"Can I ask you something?" Leon requested, tilting his head but giving no other gesture or expression. His voice remained jaded without a hint of question, as if his request was an opening, not a question. He didn't even wait for Cloud to respond. "What did Brantley mean about your mother?"

Cloud's eyes shot up and met the stormy blue-grey ones. "What do you mean?"

"Brantley asked you whether your mother went psycho on you yesterday." Leon explained. "Tell me what was that all about?" His question was more of a demand than a question.

Cloud looked back down to the hem of his shirt and twisted the corners. He was insanely grateful when the waitress approached their table and asked for their orders. Once ordered, Cloud could feel Leon's stare on him and refused to look up. How much was he willing to share with Leon? After all, he did just meet the guy yesterday and really didn't know much about him. He did have a sense of security around him, for whatever reason, but he was hesitant to trust in that right away. He then saw a perfect opportunity for a bargain.

"I'll answer your question if you answer one of mine."

Cloud chanced a look up at Leon in time so see those eyes soften slightly, almost in amusement, before Leon relaxed further into his seat. "Fair enough." Leon answered before crossing his arms across his chest. "Tell me about your home life with your mother."

Cloud sighed and focused back down to the hem of his shirt. He didn't expect Leon to ask the question in a more encompassing manner. He was going to say something about his mother being difficult and leave it at that, but now the new question required a lot more detail. How much detail was he willing to share, though?

Cloud shook his head and looked back up at Leon, his hands still busying themselves with his shirt. "My mother can be… difficult at times." he started, watching Leon's face for a reaction. Who was he kidding? This was Leon. He really didn't expect to get much in the way of a reaction from the brunet. "Sometimes it's hard to be in the same house as her."

"She can be difficult how?" Leon probed.

Cloud let his eyes drop to the table and tightened his jaw. "It's complicated." Cloud offered, still unsure of how much he was willing to let slip.

"We have time." Leon responded. "I know you're in no rush to get home and I have all evening."

The prospect of spending all evening with Leon sent a jolt of excitement through his body with was quickly squashed by the thought of the difficult conversation. Cloud took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _Maybe I'll get more out of him if I offer more detail._ Cloud thought to himself. He decided then that he would indulge Leon in hopes of getting a few of his questions answered.

"My mother is an alcoholic, self-medicated, and self-absorbed woman." Cloud started. He cringed slightly at his blunt honestly before deciding to out with it before he lost his nerve. "My father left us and she is disappointed with my being…" he couldn't finish that sentence. He couldn't even look up from the table.

"Disappointed with your being gay, you mean?" Leon finished for Cloud.

Cloud nodded and took in another deep breath. "She blames me for whatever is wrong in her life, and when nothing is wrong she creates something then blames me for it."

There was a moment of silence before Leon leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. He was about to say something when the waitress came back with their food. She placed the plates in front of the boys and asked if they required anything else before leaving.

Leon sat back in his seat and watched the blond shake his head.

"It's all fine, Leon. Really, it's just the alcohol and drugs talking, I know. It doesn't really get to me much anymore."

"Is that so?" Leon asked, raising one eyebrow.

Cloud's eyes were drawn to Leon's by the motion and immediately his eyes were held captive by Leon's gaze.

"Yeah…" Cloud answered, wondering whether he couldn't move his eyes from Leon's because he didn't want to or because he really just couldn't.

"Then why is it so hard for you to talk about this?" Leon asked, the storm in his eyes subtle but picking up motion.

Cloud was entranced momentarily before he thought it best to answer the question. "It's hard because… I…" Cloud fought to keep his thoughts organized before realizing that he really didn't have an answer for that question. "I-I just don't let it bother me anymore."

"Then why is it so hard for you to talk about this?" Leon repeated his last question, the storm in his eyes becoming slightly stronger.

The two sat there staring at one another for a few silent moments, food untouched. To anyone else it would almost look as though they were confronting one another with an argument neither was willing to lose. To Cloud, he was far too captivated by those eyes and the hidden intensity they held to be able to look away. To Leon, he just wanted Cloud to be honest with himself.

"Cloud?" Leon finally broke the silence. "If you feel the need to lie to me, fine, but don't lie to yourself."

"I'm not lying to anyone." Cloud barely whispered, eyes saddening but holding Leon's stare.

Leon raised his eyebrows and finally broke the stare by looking down at his food. Cloud instantly snapped out of it and blinked quickly a few times before repeating himself. "I'm not lying to you or myself."

"Okay." Leon responded, dragging his fork through his food.

"You don't believe me." Cloud stated, not asking.

"No, I don't." Leon replied. "But there's obviously a reason why you tell yourself that your mother's actions don't bother you and I won't force you to recognize that."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and looked uneasily back up to Leon who began eating his food. "I'm not bothered by my mother's actions because after years of caring I've found that it got me nowhere. I stopped caring because there's no reason to." Cloud tried to explain. He tried to make his voice sound as sure of this as possible. "I can't fix it so I just let it be."

Leon nodded. "That's a good reason for not trying to fix the problem." Leon said calmly, his voice like velvet that instantly soothed the blond. "But it doesn't address how your mother makes you _feel._"

Cloud picked up his fork as a hundred other questions for Leon filled his mind. Leon was talking about _feelings_ now? The ice prince himself, who hasn't shown a single emotion, was trying to point out how Cloud _felt_ about this whole thing? It was enough to make him want to laugh, and he mentally slapped himself when Leon looked up at him because of the snort he let slip. He shook his head.

"We can get to that one later." Leon said, addressing Cloud's brief cynical outburst.

"Sorry…" Cloud murmured as he picked up a fry and nibbled on it.

"Look, I'm not trying to force anything out of you." Leon said with a renewed air about him. "Just don't try to be so jaded when it is so perfectly obvious that you're not."

"Jaded?" Cloud asked, the word striking up a similarity between him and Leon Cloud wanted to delve into. He decided to not pursue it any further. He'd get to that eventually. He just had other questions that he wanted answered first.

"Yes, you don't want to seem to care about what your mother says or does, but your whole demeanor suggests otherwise." Leon explained.

"Can I get my question answered now?" Cloud asked, desperate to stop talking about his mother.

"Is that all I'm going to get out of you for now?" Leon asked, not missing a beat.

Cloud hesitated. The more he offered, the more he's likely get from Leon. He thought for a moment. "For now." he answered lowly.

"Alright. Your turn." Leon prompted. He took another bite from his food then put down the fork and sat back in his seat again.

Cloud nodded. "Alright, where to start…"

"You have that many questions for me?" Leon asked, furrowing his eyebrows slightly before releasing them in a more neutral expression.

"Maybe." the blond answered, take a bite of his food to buy himself some time.

"Well, you only get one right now; remember." Leon's jaded tone almost seeming curious.

Cloud nodded again and had trouble swallowing his food. "Okay." he started before looking up at Leon. "Why is it so important that you don't be called by your given name?"

"Personal preference." Leon answered without missing a beat.

"You knew I was going to ask that." the blond retorted immediately. He wasn't going to accept that as an answer. "But I don't believe that's the full reason why."

"What makes you think that?" Leon asked, their conversation picking up an intensity both boys wanted to keep adding to.

"Because you practically snapped at principal Sephiroth the first time he called you _Squall_." Cloud answered added emphasis on Leon's true name. He stopped breathing for a moment when he noticed the impact the name Squall had on the brunet. He almost seemed disturbed.

"New school, new city, new name." Leon said after a short moment of silence. "I went by my given name back in Balamb and wanted a fresh start."

"Why?" Cloud asked, his heart racing at the prospect of finding out more about Leon's past.

Leon looked up at the blond's hopefully face then dropped his eyes back down to his food. Although his face remained impassive, Cloud knew that he was thinking hard. "I just don't want to be reminded of where I come from." Leon finally answered. The storm in his blue-grey eyes was picking up momentum. "It was hard back in Balamb and I wanted to start a new life."

"Why?" Cloud asked again, probably questioning a little mercilessly than he had planned. He held his breath hoping that Leon wouldn't shut him out.

"Don't we all want to better our lives?" Leon asked, picking up his fork and raking across his food. "Just bad things happened back in Balamb and I want to forget all about it. I go by Leon now." The brunet's eyes looked viciously disturbed, but not by expression.

"What happened back in Balamb?" Cloud asked, softening his voice in hopes to ease Leon enough to answer his next question. Leon picked up on this.

"That's a new question."

"It's part two of the same question." Cloud grinned, hoping Leon would play along.

"No deal." Leon said with a sigh. "That's all you're going to get for now." The storm in Leon's eyes subsided slightly and he almost looked as though he was going to smile. Of course, he didn't.

Cloud slumped back into his seat, eyes still examining Leon's face. The brunet's eyes calmed down and stared at the plate of food in front of him. "Ask me another question." Cloud requested. "Anything."

"So you can get another shot at me?" Leon asked, eyes still on his food.

"To be honest, yes." Cloud answered.

"What does she say and do to you at home?" Leon asked immediately, looking up at the blond. His eyes would have looked furious had he been able to convey that expression.

Cloud was taken aback at the question. He didn't expect Leon to continue on about his mother or ask a question that he didn't feel comfortable answering. How much could he tell? Her verbal lashings? The physical abuse? Sneaking drugs in his food? The constant guilt thrown at him? How much was he willing to tell to get a decent answer out of Leon?

Leon noticed the inner turmoil and placed his fork back down. "That bad, huh?"

Cloud blinked a few times before looking down at the table. "I thought you had another question for me." he said lowly.

"It's part two of the first question." Leon replied, knowing Cloud would pick up on how the blond's own question had affected Leon. "But now you have me worried."

Cloud huffed and shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." How many times has he said that in the past month?

"What does she say and do to you at home?" Leon asked again, voice a little softer than before.

"I can take care of myself." Cloud repeated, eyes looking up at Leon, pleading that he just let it be.

"I know you can. You've proven that already." Leon responded, ignoring the silent plea. "My question to you is what is it that she says and does?"

Cloud shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He felt exhausted all of a sudden. A part of him wanted to run away and hide, but the urge to stay with Leon was too strong. Where would he go anyhow? It's not like home would be any better. "We'll save that for another time." he said finally. "Looks like you're off the hook, too." he added, trying to lighten the mood.

Leon didn't respond. He continued to search Cloud's face with impassive eyes and a blank expression. Cloud had just shut down and he knew there was no getting more information out of him today. What he had heard worried him, though, and he planned on finding out what went on in that house eventually.

An awkward silence filled the space between them, very much unlike the previous silences, as both boys focused on finishing their food. Cloud kept his gaze downwards at his plate and Leon searched the blond's posture, face, and movements, trying to get a hint as to whether it was safe to send him home afterwards.

"Gym was fun." Cloud spoke, breaking the brunet from his thoughts.

"Was it?" Leon asked, leaning forward in hopes that it would ease the blond.

"Yeah, besides our team kicking ass, you got a couple of good shots at Tony."

"You seemed disappointed that I got involved." Leon said, putting down his fork and resting his arms on the table.

"Doesn't mean it didn't feel good to see him go down that hard a couple of times." Cloud grinned, chancing a look back up at Leon. He was delighted to notice that the storm from the brunet's eyes subsided considerably.

"It's part of the game." Leon shrugged it off.

"The second time Tony didn't even have the ball." Cloud said, smile widening.

Leon shrugged again and narrowed his eyes. Cloud guessed that that was as close to a smile as he'd ever get from the brunet. It made him feel good that Leon wasn't trying to offer another explanation as to why he hit Tony the second time. The thought that he did it because Tony bothered Cloud suited the blond just fine. Then Leon had to burst his happy little bubble.

"The arrogant prick had it coming."

Cloud's expression dropped and Leon would have had to notice. Cloud tried to recover and threw on a smile. "I suppose so, but no one has the balls to do it."

"Until now." Leon added smugly. At least that part shone threw his jaded expression.

"Until now, of course." Cloud confirmed, a real smile replacing his fake one.

"You know how it feels." Leon continued. "You've taken him down a few times, if those bruises on his face mean anything."

"That was self-defense." Cloud explained. "I would never start a fight with Tony for the hell of it."

"For a friend?" Leon asked.

Cloud paused and looked back into Leon's eyes. His heart must have stopped beating because his chest tightened and he found it difficult to take his next breath. He attempted to appear as normal as possible as he gently filled his lungs with air at the same moment his heart began racing. Leon had let on before that he thought of Cloud as a friend, but never in a situation where it was just the two of them. And in a question form? How was he to respond. _Stop reading too much into this!_ he screamed at himself.

"Yeah, for a friend, of course." the blond finally managed to answer, eyes never leaving those of the brunet.

"Then why are you so impressed?" Leon asked, his emotionless eyes staying with Cloud's.

Cloud sat back in his seat and dropped his eyes to the table. He scratched the back of his head then let his arm drop to his side. "This is new."

"What is new?" Leon asked promptly.

Cloud shook his head. "I suppose you couldn't call me the social type." Cloud explained carefully. "I guess I've never had anyone who would stand up for me like that."

"What about the other three? Brad, Xander, and Brantley?" Leon probed further.

"School friends." Cloud answered. "We don't see one another outside of school."

"But they stand up for you."

"Not like that." Cloud shook his head again. "They talk a lot but really rather not get involved."

"Brantley seemed willing." Leon added. "He came up with the whole _Tackle Tony_ idea." Cloud chose not to respond, prompting Leon to continue. "But you told him not to because you want to take care of yourself."

"That's right." Cloud nodded.

"No, it's not." Leon replied. "You don't want to take care of yourself; you're just used to it." Cloud looked up at Leon with a hint of confusion. "But friends don't let their friends go at it alone."

"What are you trying to get at, Leon?" Cloud asked, tired from their conversation.

"It shouldn't matter to Brantley that you _want_ to take care of yourself." Leon accentuated the word 'want'. "He should have been there for you regardless. No one can take care of themselves without a little help from time to time."

"You're sounding like principal Sephiroth." Cloud added, hoping to lighten the mood once again.

"Then he's a very smart man, Cloud." Leon leaned back into his seat once again. "My point is this: you're not alone. Whether it be about Tony or your _mother_, you need to reach out when things get too hard to handle."

"I can take care of myself." Cloud said yet again. He was beginning to sound like a broken record.

"Then you'll have to accept the consequences when a friend interjects." Leon said with a shrug.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the blond asked tilting his head.

At that moment the waitress came back with their bill. She placed it on the table before walking away, both Cloud and Leon reaching for it at the same time. Leon got there a second sooner causing Cloud to grab his hand by mistake.

"I've got it." Cloud said, readjusting his grip so he had hold of the slip of paper.

Leon looked up at Cloud. "No, it's fine."

Cloud met Leon's eyes. "We're not starting a tug-of-war game here for the bill."

"Then let go." Leon said, raising his eyebrows.

"I invited you out; I'm going to foot the bill." the blond said, adding a tone of authority to his voice.

"And you've helped me out tremendously the past few days getting settled at school." the brunet added, using his other hand to release Cloud's grip on the bill.

Cloud sighed when Leon successfully made him let go of the bill and lingered in the feeling of his hand in Leon's. It ended much too quickly as Leon dropped his hand and pulled out his wallet.

"Thanks." Cloud said in a defeated manner.

"You're welcome." Leon replied, pulling out a couple of bills and placing them on the table with the check.

"You never answered my question." Cloud said, still moping that Leon paid for their dinner.

"Because you didn't fully answer mine." Leon added, sitting back into his seat.

"No, not that one." Cloud corrected. "I asked you what you meant about accepting the consequences if you were to interject."

"It was a hypothetical situation, Cloud." Leon answered. "I'm going to make my opinions known if Tony starts shit again and if it escalates further I'm not going to stand by and watch."

"Don't get involved." Cloud said, shaking his head.

"Too late." Leon narrowed his eyes. "It seems as though Tony really wants me to be a part of his pathetic little entourage. He's not going to recruit me by picking on you, that's for sure."

"How can he recruit you?" Cloud asked, lifting his gaze to look into Leon's eyes.

Leon huffed, probably a sign of amusement, but it was hard to tell. "If this is who Tony is, then he can't."

"He won't leave you alone." Cloud said quietly. "His goal in school is to make me as miserable as possible. Now that he sees I have a new friend he'll try his damnedest to turn you against me."

"What could he possibly say to turn me against you?" Leon asked immediately. "That you're gay? I know that. That you're hanging around me because you want to get in my pants? We hang out because we're friends. That you eat little children for breakfast? They were probably loud and annoying anyhow."

Cloud chuckled at Leon's little rant then bit his lower lip. What made it funnier was that Leon showed no sign of joking other than his words. His face remained expressionless and his eyes as jaded as ever.

"What I'm trying to say, Cloud, is that I have no interest in becoming friends with Tony. He'll get that soon enough and whatever he tries to do to you next, well, I feel sorry for him because although you'll be able to take care of yourself you'll have me on your flank."

Cloud took in a deep breath and tried to stop his smile from cracking his face in two. He was no longer tired from their conversation, but rather was excited that Leon seemed okay with being friends, in school and out. He couldn't have asked for more. He could have, but he was still basking in Leon's little rant to ask for too much more. He was content being friends and was beginning to really look forward to something in his life.

"Thanks…" Cloud couldn't think of anything better to say. He was sure Leon knew exactly what he was thinking by the happy expression he could feel stretched across his face.

Leon nodded and narrowed his eyes. "Does that answer your question?"

Cloud nodded and looked up at the brunet. "Yeah, I think it does."

"Good." Leon nodded again. "My turn."

"What?!" Cloud almost shouted. "That hardly counted as one of _those_ questions!"

Leon raised his eyebrows. "Oh no? I answered one of your questions and now you have to answer one of my questions. We never specified what kind of questions qualified for this."

Cloud covered his eyes and bowed his head. "Okay… fine. Go head." He prayed that Leon wouldn't ask about his home life again.

"What was that snort about earlier?" Leon asked, his eyes softening up, giving off a feeling of almost amusement. "An interesting reaction; certainly not what I was expecting considering the question."

Cloud removed his hand from his eyes and looked into Leon's eyes with a grin. "I wouldn't have used the word 'interesting'." His grin turned into a smile. "I found it amusing that you, of all people, as asking about _feelings_."

"Me, _of all people_?" Leon asked, raising his eyebrows.

Cloud nodded. "You are always so hard to read, like you don't have feelings yourself." Cloud waved his hand in the air, gesturing towards Leon's face.

Leon nodded and crossed his arms. "That answers my question, then."

Cloud couldn't help but smile brightly. He may have been jaded, he may have been hard to read, but Cloud couldn't help but feel more comfortable in his presence than anyone else he knew. At least he was honest and could hold a conversation when it counted. And most importantly, he was his friend.

-o-o-o-

I'm having so much fun writing Leon in this fic! Geez, I love this boy! Based on a few of the responses I've received so far, so do you. XD Keep them coming, lovies! I love to hear from yas!

*happy jig*


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Unfortunately the chapter following the happy diner conversation is not so happy. I needed a chapter to develop things as I don't feel I did so properly previously, so here it is. Hope you enjoy the read. :o)

-o-o-o-

Leon walked Cloud home after their dinner conversation as Cloud's house was on the way to his own. They continued on with light-hearted chitchat about school, teachers, and homework. It was an easy air about them and Cloud couldn't have been more grateful. He was still on a high after the rather entertaining meal, even though it started out a little more difficult that he would have thought.

Although Leon still didn't offer too much in way of emotions or expressions, his words comforted Cloud. Leon didn't need to laugh to tell Cloud that he found something funny; he didn't need to raise his voice to emphasize a point. Leon knew how to communicate appropriately and this was something Cloud found fascinating.

It was dusk when the two boys reached Cloud's house, both stopping in front of the walkway and continuing their conversation. Cloud couldn't remember the last time he laughed so much in one night. Even though Leon didn't seem like he was joking, the things that came out of his mouth were amusing. Once their conversation died down, Cloud could feel that he was still smiling from ear to ear and Leon's eyes appeared content.

Cloud looked down to the ground and kicked at a pebble by his foot. He once again felt the need to say something so Leon wouldn't leave but he had nothing to say without making his intent obvious. He managed to get Leon out for some food; he guessed that he should be grateful and call it a night.

"Thanks for the food." the blond said, eyes still trained on the ground.

Leon nodded. "No worries." The brunet looked up at the house and scanned through the windows. Cloud looked up noticing this but didn't want to look away to see what the brunet was searching for. He found it pleasantly calming to just watch the stormy eyes graze over the house. Leon finally looked away and was met with crystal blue eyes. Cloud was momentarily startled as he looked away. Leon didn't seem to care.

"I guess I should be going." Cloud said lowly, focusing on the ground once more.

"You going to be alright?" Leon asked, not moving his eyes from Cloud's face.

Cloud nodded before looking back up. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Leon took a slow, deep breath in before letting it out just as slow. He searched Cloud's face, not unnoticed by the blond. There was a moment where both just looked at one another. Leon was still trying to read the blond to determine whether he really had anything to worry about and Cloud was just basking in the focus Leon seemed to have for only him at the moment. It was Cloud who broke the silence first.

"Seriously, Leon. I'll be alright." He smiled softly to emphasize his point. "Not anything I can't handle; promise."

"That's not the point." Leon said, finally turning his stare from Cloud to the house again. "You can handle it, I'm sure. You just shouldn't have to."

Cloud let his smile drop slowly then shook his head. "I appreciate the concern; it's just unnecessary."

Leon looked back at Cloud and nodded. "Until you tell me how it's unnecessary, I can only go by your reaction to when I asked you about _her_." Leon said lowly, his velvet voice sending shivers down Cloud's spine. "And your reaction didn't tell me that everything is fine."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and looked down to the ground again. He was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable at being back on the topic of his mother. He knew that he would be alright; that wasn't in question, but he wasn't sure how to tell Leon he would be fine any other way than he had already. He didn't really want to get into details about how it was like at home but he knew, judging by Leon's reasoning, that it would take those details to put the brunet's mind at ease.

Still, Cloud couldn't find the words to tell Leon what went on. Never did the blond ever feel as though his life was in danger, but things got difficult to handle sometimes. If he were to tell Leon _what_ his mother did then he would have to explain _why_ she did them. That was just a little too much to explain at this point in their friendship.

Cloud didn't know how long he had been silent but he became painfully aware that Leon was still waiting for a response to what he had just said. Cloud's immediate reaction was to say he'd be fine again and offer a quick smile, but he had already played that card too often tonight. What else could he say, though? He wasn't sure and thinking about it made him feel tired. The light-hearted conversation had officially become heavy and he found himself wishing it would be over.

Leon watched the blond battle with his thoughts for a few moments before deciding to relieve Cloud of his supposed mental anguish. The brunet buried his hands in his pockets and rolled his shoulders. "I suppose the only thing to do now is trust you."

Cloud snapped out of his thoughts and threw a surprised look at Leon. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know what goes on in there," Leon said, nodding towards the house and keeping his eyes on Cloud. "But as you won't tell me anything, I can only hope that I'm not placing false trust in you saying that you'll be alright."

Cloud blinked a few times and tried to process what was just said. Was Leon seriously giving him an easy way out? _Best not look a gift horse in the mouth._ "Thanks, and I will be fine. I always bounce back."

Wrong thing to say…

Leon huffed and rolled his shoulders again, eyes diverting from Cloud to down the road in what seemed to be an uneasy irritation; it was too hard to tell past the jaded expression. "Bounce back from what?"

Cloud realized the error in his words and frowned. He closed his eyes and mentally back-handed himself. "I told you she can be difficult, but it's nothing to worry about, okay?"

Leon refocused his eyes on the blond before looking back at the house. "If I let you go home right now, can you promise me that you will actually be alright?" His eyes turned to Cloud.

_If he lets me go?_ Cloud's mind didn't hesitate before picking up these words and analyzing them to pieces. Was that a hint of protectiveness? What did Leon plan on doing if Cloud told him that he can't make that promise? The brunet would have looked almost up-in-arms right now if it wasn't for his relaxed body posture and his blank expression. If it wasn't for his words, Cloud would have assumed that Leon really didn't care. But he _did_ care. He was looking for a promise that Cloud would be alright; in fact, he was _still _waiting for a promise, actually. "Oh, yeah… of course." Cloud stammered. "I will be alright."

Leon's eyes narrowed as though he was trying to peer into Cloud's soul before they fell jaded again and he nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow." he concluded before taking his hands out of his pockets and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, uhh… good night." Cloud said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks again for dinner."

Leon didn't move his posture other than a nod. Cloud dropped his arm and returned the nod before turning around and walking towards the house. He felt Leon's gaze on him and tried his best not to quicken his pace to get out of the powerful energy he felt at his back. He wasn't sure if he wanted to run away from Leon's questions or whether he was uncertain he could hide his feelings for the brunet for any longer, but Cloud just felt the need to get inside. Once the door was closed he locked it and ran a hand through his hair. He slumped against the door and kicked off his shoes as he found himself on the verge of hyperventilation. From what, he wasn't sure, but a feeling of panic consumed his mind and he fought to recompose himself before moving further into the house.

"Where the fuck where you!" he heard his mother scream from the living area. "Do you have any idea what time it is? You should have been home hours ago! Get your ass in here this instant!"

Cloud closed his eyes and prayed that Leon had already left. The way the brunet acted that evening, Cloud wouldn't put it past him to hang around a few moments longer just in case. If he did, he may have heard the screaming.

"Cloud!" his mother screamed again. "I said get over here!" Her voice grew darker.

Cloud took a deep breath before launching himself off the door and slowly walking into the living room. "What is it?" he asked lowly, searching the room for evidence of what she may have been into that night. The usual coppery liquid sat in a glass on the table in front of her and her purse was nearby meaning she was self-medicating again.

"I asked where the fuck have you been?" she asked, venom dripping from her words.

"I went out to dinner with a friend." he answered calmly. No use getting defensive when his mother was like this; it would only make matters worse.

"And what, no phone call? You leave me here wondering where my son is without considering how worried I might be?"

Cloud had to take a deep breath to stop himself from laughing out loud. He couldn't even remember the last time she worried about where he was. He could take a walk all night and she wouldn't even realize he had left the house. "I'm sorry for making you worry." he chose his words carefully to diffuse her anger. "It won't happen again."

"Worry?" she spat back at him. "You think I was worried?"

_And here we go…_ he thought to himself. Contradicting herself wasn't an uncommon occurrence but he had never seen it so quickly before. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked, hoping to distract her enough to derail the conversation.

His mother's expression changed from rage to happiness in a matter of nanoseconds. "Were you on a date?" she asked, a giggle almost apparent in her voice.

Normally Cloud's head would have been reeling at this point, but knowing what she must have taken, it didn't surprise him. He was just grateful that she wasn't still screaming. "No, Mom… I was just out with a buddy." He once again chose his words wisely. Dinner with a guy friend would set her off on him being gay again. 'Buddy' sounded more casual. "What do you want to eat?" he prompted, hoping to keep the good mood alive.

"Oh, I don't know, Cloud. I had a shitty day." she whined as he leaned back on the couch. "Come sit with me, baby." she requested, patting the couch beside her without looking over at him.

Cloud hesitated for a moment; he was hoping to whip her something to eat quickly and retreat when she was eating. He really didn't have a choice right now so he slowly made his way over to the couch and sat down gently, keeping his guard up just in case. Something about the conversation he had earlier with Leon registered in his mind making him wonder why he felt so guarded simply by sitting beside his mother.

She reached her hand out and placed it on his knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Why do you have to be gay?" she asked, voice sounding defeated. She took a long, deep breath and closed her eyes.

Cloud looked down at her hand and frowned. "What does it matter?" he asked quietly. Leon's point seemed to strike home at that moment. As much as he would like to think that his mother's words and actions didn't bother him, they did; especially when it came to his sexuality. He almost felt ashamed that he let her down, but it wasn't something he could change.

"What does it matter?" his mother looked over at him and pulled her hand back in disgust. "It matters a lot, Cloud. Holy fuck, what the hell is wrong with you? What did I do to make you turn out this way?"

Cloud raised his eyebrows and held his breath. Even the tiniest bit of wind could send her temper flying. He remained quiet in hopes that it was the safest thing to do at this point.

"I mean, did I drop you too often as an infant or did I never teach you the values of family, or… or, what?" she continued.

Cloud remained still and quiet. He would just endure this until he could make an escape to his bedroom.

"Maybe that's why your father left. It wasn't because of me." she began reasoning out to herself. "It was because he was disappointed in you. What father would want a faggot for a son?"

Cloud felt a spike of anger in his chest before taking a calming breath. He tried to distract himself with thoughts about dinner with Leon but found himself ashamed to even think about Leon right now. If Leon were in the room right now watching what his mother was saying to him he would be disappointed in Cloud as well. He would expect Cloud to stand up for himself; at least walk away. But Cloud couldn't bring himself to do anything. He'd gone so long just letting these things slide off his shoulders that when he really sat down and began to think about it, like he was now, it was painful.

He looked over at his mother who was still rambling on about how much of a disappointment he was before he looked out the window in hopes that Leon was still out there. He knew he wouldn't be, but he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when the street outside was bear.

"Are you even listening to me?" Cloud's mother's voice brought the blond back to reality and it must have been obvious by the way his eyes snapped back to meet hers. "You weren't, were you?"

Cloud opened his mouth to respond but was completely taken aback when she slapped him across the face. His hand flew up to his jaw as he watched her in disbelief. This wasn't the first time she'd struck him, but every time she did he had a hard time taking in what was happening.

"You asshole!" she screamed and took another swing at him. Cloud launched off the couch and took a few steps back before she could land another hit. "Why can't you be a normal son!" she screamed again and threw her half empty glass at him. The glass hit him in the stomach, spilling its contents on his shirt and the carpet. It didn't hurt, but Cloud was still reeling at the violent outburst. "Look what you made me do! There's whiskey all over the carpet now; you better clean that up, you ungrateful bastard." she practically growled before looking around for something else to throw.

Cloud didn't wait to find out what she had her hands on next before he turned and ran up the stairs. He slammed his door shut and locked it before leaning back against it, sliding down to the floor. His breaths came in ragged, shallow intakes as he tried to stop himself from screaming in frustration. He groaned lowly as he felt his eyes prick from oncoming tears and rocked lightly on the floor. His hands shook as he fumbled to pull off his stained shirt and threw it across the room as hard as he could. The fabric caught wind and fluttered to the ground causing him to become more agitated as he fought against another scream threatening to spill.

The blond couldn't believe his reaction. Never before had he ever become so angry at her; never before did he feel the need to scream and shout until his voice didn't work. He wanted to destroy something, but that would only serve to make him more like her and that was something he never wanted to do.

He fought back his tears with all of his being, remaining successful until his mind floated back to Leon's jaded expression, shaking his head at Cloud's poor display of self pride. Cloud sobbed as he searched Leon's eyes in his mind searching for some form of comfort only to be presented with expressionless indifference. His tears fell freely from his eyes as he tried to wipe them away with his hands, catching scent of the booze that was thrown at him making him want to scream out again.

Enough was enough. Cloud took a few deep breaths to calm his anger and dried up his tears with the back of his hand. This wasn't like him, or so he thought. Leon had told him to stop lying to himself; that it was obvious that no matter how much Cloud wanted to believe otherwise, his mother's actions _did_ bother him. That Leon was able to see through him but he only cared about Cloud realizing it for himself. Cloud sniffled as he ran through his conversation that night with the brunet and shook his head at this self-realization. He looked down at his bare chest and jeans, slightly wet from the booze, and took a deep breath. He could almost laugh at the thought of Leon if he were to see him now; half naked, crying like a child, trying his damnedest not to throw his own tantrum.

Cloud stood up and walked towards his desk. He could be working on homework right now but that would require him to go back downstairs and retrieve his school bag. He scowled in the direction of the door and sighed heavily; there was no way that was happening.

Cloud made his way to his bed and flung himself horizontally across. As much as he would hate to admit it, Leon was right. It wasn't the fact that Leon was right that bothered him though; it was the evidence proving that Cloud had, in fact, been lying to himself about his messed up home life. Even when he tried to act indifferent when his mother went off on him, he always held carefully guarded frustration; enough to make it impossible to focus on anything else. Tonight changed all of that. Leon's words were spot on during dinner and coincidentally the same night it was proven to the blond himself.

Cloud rubbed his eyes and sighed. None of that mattered anymore. Leon knew what he was talking about and now Cloud understood what he meant. What did matter was… now what? The thought of asking Leon what he should do made his skin crawl and he physically shook his head as though it would expel the thought.

He couldn't do that. He couldn't do anything right now. He was alone and at a loss and the feeling of helplessness clouded over, bringing him into a restless, uneasy sleep.

The blond felt himself stir in his sleep bringing him to a state of semi-wakefulness. He knew it wasn't morning yet as it was still very dark through his eyelids. It still felt like night and the street was too quiet. He sighed and willed himself back to sleep but found that it didn't come so easily. Something felt off. Something was different, as though the disturbance that gently brought him out of his sleeping state was still present. He listened carefully but heard nothing. Something still felt wrong, though.

He creased his eyebrows and slowly opened his eyes, a task proven much more difficult than anticipated as he was still half asleep. At first he couldn't register anything but darkness. He blinked a few times before an image appeared before him startling him the rest of the way awake.

He gasped as he sat up in bed, staring into the eyes of his mother. She was sitting beside him in bed looking down at him with soft eyes. He went to ask her what was going on but he couldn't find his voice. He looked over at the door and saw it was slightly ajar; she must have picked his lock, before looking back at her.

Her breathing was even and light, eyes portraying nothing that he could understand as she continued to watch him try and comprehend what was going on.

"M-mom…" the blond stuttered, testing his voice. "What are you doing?"

"Cloud," was her only response. He waited for her to say more but after a moment he realized that she wasn't going to say anything else.

"What are you doing?" he asked again. He tried looking in her eyes but they were far too eerie for comfort.

"I used to watch you sleep when you were a baby." she whispered before reaching over and brushing blond bangs from his eyes.

"Why are you watching me now?" he asked carefully, flinching at the contact she had made.

"You used to cry when I wouldn't give you pineapple sauce." she said with a gently smile. "You would run up to you father and beg for him to give you some. He always did; would sneak you a bowl before dinner."

Cloud watched her in complete confusion. Why was she recounting old memories after everything that had happened that night? He blinked a few more times before shifting slightly further away. There was something about her eyes that told him that she wasn't completely there and that made him incredibly nervous.

"Why are you pulling away, baby?" she asked with a frown as she moved closer. "Don't you love your mommy anymore?" Her eyes filled with tears as she reached over to hold him. Cloud couldn't prevent his instinctive reaction to flinch as she drew closer, causing her to pull back. Her gentle eyes transformed to a more familiar anger as she shook her head. "That's just it; you don't love me anymore. Just like your fuckin' father!" she yelled.

Cloud shook his head to try and deny that but his gesture was taken the wrong way as she slapped him across the face again. Cloud pulled back after cupping his jaw and jumped out of bed. "What the fuck is your problem?!" he shouted. "Get out! Get away from me!" The floodgates were open now; he couldn't control it. "I never said that I didn't love you anymore; I just hate what you do to me!"

Cloud's mother stood up from the bed and scowled at him. "Think about it." she said before storming out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Think about what?!" Cloud screamed after her, not moving from his spot beside his bed. "You don't make sense anymore!"

"I hate you!" she screamed back at him before he heard another door slam.

Cloud fought the urge to scream back at her. He balled his hands into fists at his side and took several deep breaths in attempt to calm himself before he sat down on his bed. He glanced over at his clock to find that it was four twenty in the morning. He would have to be up in a few hours to get ready for school.

He laid back down on his pillow and stared up at the ceiling. He was much too worked up to fall back asleep so he sat back up with a groan and made his way into the shower. He locked the door behind him and began stripping off his jeans from the previous day.

He turned the water on cold and stepped into the spray. What was so different between now and a few days ago? Why all of a sudden was he finding it difficult to handle his mother? He took a deep breath as he continued to wash himself before his mind drifted to Leon. The only thing that changed was Cloud talking to Leon about his mother. Leon seemed so insightful to the situation considering the little information Cloud had provided.

Leon showed Cloud what he really felt. That was the only answer; Cloud was in perfect control before their little discussion and now he was screaming back at his mother – something he never did before. Did Leon do this or was it an excuse for something else? Either-or, Cloud felt almost at his breaking point and had no idea where to go from there.

He rinsed his body before turning off the taps. Even if Leon did show him the truth of what Cloud was hiding from himself all this time, what did it matter? Nothing could change at this point. His mother wasn't going to change and he certainly couldn't do much until he finished high school. Cloud shook his head and wrapped a towel around his waist. He opened the door and walked back to his bedroom, locking to door behind him.

None of it mattered. He wished that he wasn't aware of how he felt when things went down at home; it was so much easier to deal with when he didn't feel. Didn't feel, like he was able to do up to this point. Like Leon seemed to do. If Leon did have feelings, he kept them well hidden. Cloud was beginning to be able to recognize certain gestures and looks Leon had and what they meant, but what he'd give to have that kind of composure. He found himself actually chuckling at the thought of what it would be like if Leon and his mother were put in the same room. His mother would be ranting about this and that, how the world is out to get her, and Leon would watch on, completely indifferent giving off the aura of 'it sure is'.

Cloud tried to wipe the smile off his face at that mental image. He didn't think he was in the mood for smiling but somehow the thought of Leon brought it out in him. He tried to suppress his smile with a grin and shook his head when that didn't work.

He threw on a fresh pair of jeans and random shirt he pulled out of his closet before glancing at the time. It was just past five in the morning and he figured the diner would be open for breakfast at this time. After his mother's startling wake up call and a cold shower, he knew he wasn't getting back to sleep and figured the diner would be a good place to hide out to finish his homework he couldn't get around to last night to kill some time before classes.

Before opening his door, he listened carefully for any indication of his mother's whereabouts and upon hearing nothing he opened the door quietly. He made his way downstairs and pulled on his boots on, grabbing his bag, and left the house.

The streets were so quiet and he rather enjoyed his walk to the diner. He smiled again at the thought of going back to the place he and Leon ate the evening before and closed his eyes as a cool wind blew in his still-damp hair. All things considering, he was in a rather good mood.

When he made it to the diner he took the booth that he and Leon ate at and pulled his books from his bag. A waitress wearing far too much makeup came over to take his order in a much too-friendly manner before he began working on the assigned question.

When his food came he ate in silence, recounting the conversation from the night before. His heart fluttered when he recalled Leon and his hand meeting when the check was brought by and Leon taking his hand in his own, even if it was just to remove his grip from the bill. That didn't stop him from smiling.

He shook his head to stop himself from looking like a complete idiot and delved into his work. He wasn't in any hurry as it would be a few hours before classes started, but it never killed anyone to jump ahead. He couldn't remember feeling so alive, so happy. He would have thought he would be a mess today but being in this diner, in their booth, it gave him energy.

Cloud wondered to himself how far into the day he could go before he started to crash. He would worry about that later; right now he was in too good of mood to spoil over something that hadn't even happened yet.

-o-o-o-

D: I'm so cruel to Cloud but it has its purpose, I promise! Reviews make Angel happy!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Heh, the last chapter wasn't too much fun and I'm afraid that this chapter isn't going to be a whole heap better, but there will be a little sunshine for our favourite little blond. I'm really anxious to write the next chapter as well, but with my last exam in less than a week (and being very much behind in studying) I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write. I'll do my best! Hope you enjoy! :o)

-o-o-o-

Cloud made it through his first two classes before his drowsiness kicked in. He wasn't sure if it was because he had little sleep the night before or if it was because the subjects were just so incredibly boring. Leon hadn't been in either class so there wasn't even that to focus on. He was practically startled awake by the bell to release them from second period.

He smiled at himself as he made his way to his locker to grab his textbook for third period stats; stats with Leon. He rounded the corner to find the brunet already there, crouching in front of his locker and packing his bag. His smile dropped when he saw Eric leaning against his locker talking to Leon.

He didn't understand why he was frowning at the moment; it's not like Leon belonged to him and he was allowed to make other friends, but there was something fulfilling about being the one person Leon could count on in his new school. A person like that was bound to make new friends anyway and Cloud fought to regain composure as he approached the two.

"Hey," the blond offered, hoping that he sounded normal and was hiding his fatigue sufficiently.

Leon's expressionless eyes glided up and met with blue. He gave a small nod with a 'hey' before he stood up and closed his locker. Eric looked over at Cloud with a smile.

"Pardon me?" Cloud asked in a friendly tone, masking his urge to roughly shove the other boy away from his locker.

"Oh, sorry." Eric said as he moved to stand next to Leon. The boy seemed friendly enough and Cloud wondered why he couldn't suppress his jealousy in his own mind. It was unwarranted. Cloud offered him a smile and opened his locker. Leon leaned against his own locker and crossed his arms.

"So, I'll call you with details later tonight." Eric said to Leon, obviously concluding their conversation they were having before Cloud approached them.

"Yeah, sounds good." Leon responded, looking down at the blond who was trying to seem indifferent.

"Later." Eric said with a smile as he turned and walked away.

Leon looked up and nodded before looking back down at the blond. "You look tired."

Cloud spared a quick glance up at the brunet with a grin. "I'm fine." He almost cringed at his response as he knew how over-played it was.

"Yeah, yeah. You're fine; I know." Leon said, a hint of amusement playing in his eyes before disappearing completely. "How was the rest of your night?"

Cloud bit his lower lip, looking down to hide the fact that he was ready to nod off to sleep before standing up straight and closing his locker. "Fine. How was your night?" he tossed the question back casually as he attempted to mask his apparently obvious fatigue.

Leon diverted his eyes down the hallway and cracked his knuckles. "Fine, I suppose." he threw Cloud's typical response back to the blond before looking back at him. He looked as though he was about to say something else as the bell rang signaling third period. He clenched his jaw as he arched his back off his locker and began making his way to stats. "Shall we?"

Cloud gave a half-hearted grin as he followed Leon through the halls towards their class. They made it in a moment before the second bell sounded and took their seats. Both dug out their textbooks and prepared for class. Cloud couldn't help but notice how Leon continually glanced in his direction from the seat next to him. He cursed himself for not being able to hide his drowsiness from the brunet and hoped that he wouldn't ask too many questions today. It was obvious that Leon knew that something had happened the night before and he was grateful that he wasn't prying.

The teacher began the lesson and only ten minutes into class Cloud found himself fighting to keep his eyes open. He suppressed yet another yawn as he straightened his back to stay alert, or at least appear to be so, as he noticed Leon was glancing over at him a lot still. A surge of enthusiasm shot through him every time he noticed jaded blue-gray eyes fall on him and that served as enough distraction to keep him from falling asleep in his seat.

Stats never seemed so long before and Cloud was aching for the bell to ring to release them for lunch. Feigning alertness was tough and he wanted nothing more than to eat something in hopes of an energy boost. He glanced over to Leon and was startled to find the brunet was glancing over at him at the same time. Their eyes met briefly and Cloud half grinned at the other. Leon's eyes narrowed slightly but held an air of contentment as they refocused on the teacher. Cloud let his eyes linger a moment longer on the brunet before they closed for a bit longer than a standard blink. The pull was strong as he struggled to regain control over his eyes. It felt so good to close them and before he knew it he was startled awake by the bell releasing them to lunch. A fleeting image in his head of the brunet disappeared as he awoke fully.

The first thing he noticed was Leon's eyes on him again. He prayed to everything that was good that if he was dreaming of Leon that he didn't say anything. His cheeks flushed as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

"Shit…" the blond mumbled under his breath.

Leon let out a huff, most likely in amusement, before standing up and packing his bag. "You were out for about twenty five minutes." Leon offered. "Don't worry, though. You don't snore."

Cloud chuckled before standing up to pack his own bag. "Well, that's a relief."

"Cloud," the teacher interrupted their exchange. "May I have a word for a moment?"

Cloud nodded before rolling his eyes at Leon. "Meet you at the caf?"

Leon looked over at the teacher then back at Cloud. "Or something like that."

Before Cloud could ask him what he meant Leon had already begun leaving the classroom. He didn't have time to think about it before the teacher approached his desk. He was the only student left in the room. "Cloud, is there something you want to talk about?"

Cloud sat back down in his seat and shook his head. "No, and I'm sorry for falling asleep. I'm just-"

"I'm concerned for you." the teacher interrupted. "Is everything alright?"

Cloud paused for a moment and tried to get his head straight. He wasn't sure what his teacher knew or suspected. "I'm fine." he offered. Over-played – yes, but a safe answer nonetheless.

"Is everything alright at home?" the teacher asked, gently prying much to Cloud's dismay.

Cloud sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Nothing to worry about."

"I've been noticing that you're running yourself into the ground and although your grades don't show it, you're looking more and more exhausted as the semester goes on." the teacher explained. "I wanted to be sure that you had someone to go to-"

"I have someone to go to; thank you for your concern, but I'll be alright." Cloud interrupted this time. "You can worry about me when my grades start slipping, alright?"

"Always the trooper." the teacher smiled at him, but it was quickly replaced with a frown. "Have you spoken to a guidance counselor?"

Cloud snorted as he stood up from his seat. "I have a friend." His heart warmed as he thought of Leon. Leon would listen. Leon cared about his well being and after last night he knew that if he was desperate Leon wouldn't hesitate to be at his side. "I have a friend who I can rely on." he repeated to emphasize his point before he nodded at the teacher. "But thanks, and I'll do my best not to fall asleep in your class again."

As Cloud left the classroom he had a smile on his face. Of course he had a friend who cared. His heart fluttered as he quickened his pace down the hallway before Leon suddenly appeared at his side.

"What the hell." Cloud almost shouted, startled. "You were not just listening to the conversation outside of the classroom, were you?"

Leon bit his lower lip and shrugged. "Can I still use the excuse that I wasn't sure where the cafeteria was so I needed to wait for you to take me?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "No, you can't." He immediately began running through the conversation with the teacher in his mind, searching for anything that he didn't want Leon to know.

As if Leon knew what the blond was doing, he spoke. "It's comforting to hear that you know that you do have a friend to rely on." he said almost in a hushed tone.

Cloud sighed in embarrassment and shook his head. "Eavesdropping is wrong, you know."

Leon shrugged and hitched his bag back onto his shoulder. "But it's the best way to learn information." The corner of his mouth twitched a little upwards, almost to a half-grin.

Cloud stopped in his tracks and stared Leon in the face. "You so did not just almost crack a smile!" he said in mock surprise.

Leon stopped walking and looked back at the blond. "I think you're seeing things… you are incredibly tired, after all." Although expressionless, his face looked amused.

"You think that I dream about you?" Cloud shook his head as he let out a chuckle. "Quite the ego you have there." he added as he began walking towards the caf.

For once, Leon didn't have anything to counter with. Had Cloud been looking, he would have seen the grin Leon fought to suppress.

-.-.-.-

Cloud and Leon took their usual seats at the caf and were joined moments later by Brad, Brantley, and Xander. It took only seconds before Brantley noticed Cloud's state.

"Geez, you get _any_ sleep last night?" he asked in both a teasing and concerned manner.

Cloud rolled his eyes and sighed. "I look that great, ya?"

"Seriously, Cloud." Xander interjected. "You look like you're dead on your feet."

Cloud didn't not notice Leon look up at him before refocusing on his food. "I had a nap; don't worry about me." Cloud said.

"Yeah, in stats." Leon added as he took a bite from his food.

"You fell asleep in stats?" Brantley asked with a chuckle. "Cloud isn't such a perfect student after all!" he said in announcement, a little louder than Cloud would have preferred earning a few curious glances from other students.

"What happened last night?" Xander asked, noticing Cloud's slight irritation towards Brantley. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." Cloud said, dropping his food back into its wrapper and shaking his head.

"'_Fine'_ concerning your mother doesn't necessarily mean you're okay." Xander pushed. "Knowing that woman-"

"Drop it," Cloud interrupted now feeling more than a little irritated but the constant barrage of questions.

Brad looked from Cloud to Xander. "Leave him be, will ya? And eat your vegetables."

Xander looked over at Brad before turning his gaze back to Cloud. "It's just gotta stop sometime, that's all."

Cloud slammed his fists down on the table causing everyone other than Leon from their table and the next table over to jump. "Just drop it!" he shouted. He took in a deep breath and focused on steadying his breathing. "Just… drop it…" he mumbled again avoiding the watchful and curious eyes in the cafeteria trained on him before he stood up and made his leave, leaving his bag and food behind.

Brad, Brantley, and Xander all looked at one another in surprise as Leon's eyes followed Cloud out of the caf. When the blond disappeared through the doors he looked back at the trio and tilted his head.

Xander bit his lower lip and looked back at the brunet. "He'll be back for his things." he offered meekly.

Leon's eyes narrowed slightly before he stood up and began packing Cloud's bag. He stuffed Cloud's unfinished lunch into the blond's bag and packed his own things before looking back at the others. "Does he have a place he goes when this happens?"

The three boys looked at one another before looking back up at Leon. "We don't know." Xander said lowly.

Leon narrowed his eyes again before nodding. "See you next class." he said before leaving in the direction Cloud stormed through.

Leon couldn't help but notice everyone watching him as he made his way from the cafeteria. He really didn't care as his mind was otherwise preoccupied. It frustrated him that the other boys were just planning on letting Cloud leave when he was obviously struggling with something. He knew when to stop pushing, a gift Xander obviously lacked. But they weren't even going to try and find him to offer an apology? To make sure he was alright?

Leon sighed to himself as his eyes roamed the hallways. He tried their lockers first, not finding the blond but packed his bag for his next class in case he didn't have an opportunity to come back for his things. At least he and Cloud could share a textbook. He popped into a few bathrooms on his way to the library looking for the blond with no avail. As he entered the library he noticed Tony and his friends sitting at a table; Tony's eyes lit up when he saw Leon. Leon's eyes scanned the library before concluding that the blond wouldn't have come here when Tony was present if he was already upset.

Tony beckoned him over but Leon ignored him. He turned and left only to be pursued.

"Looking for something?" Tony asked in a friendly tone.

"Cloud," Leon answered, not slowing his pace as he walked through the hallway.

Tony let out a small chuckle before shaking his head. "Drama queen; that's what he is. Hey, listen. I know you've already declined my offer about the party this weekend, but-"

"I'm not interested." Leon interrupted. "I'm kinda busy, so if you're done, I need to go."

"You can bring your friend." Tony added without skipping a beat. "I mean, if you won't come without Cloud, then you're more than welcome to bring him along."

"I have plans this weekend." Leon said, not turning once to look at Tony.

"Oh, well…" Tony said, keeping up with Leon.

Leon sighed heavily and turned to face Tony, stopping his search momentarily. "What is it with you?"

Tony looked back at the brunet confused.

"Why do you want me there so bad?" Leon elaborated.

"Just trying to make a new friend." Tony answered with a cocky grin. "You seem pretty cool and-"

"I'm busy." Leon interrupted once more, shaking his head before walking away.

Leon roamed a few more hallways before his eye caught sight of a blond sitting outside on a park bench by the track. He breathed a sigh of relief as he pushed open the door to the warm outdoors.

"Hey," he said lowly, sitting beside Cloud and placing both of their bags on the table.

Cloud didn't move his eyes from the chips in the wood. He took a silent breath in and began cracking his knuckles. "Hi."

"Glad I found you." Leon started. "I wanted to bring you your bag before class started."

"Thanks," Cloud said with a small nod. "And I'm sorry."

Leon shook his head and leaned forward on the table trying to see the blond's face. "No need to be sorry. I should be the one apologizing."

Cloud narrowed his eyes and looked back into the brunet's face. "You should apologize for what? You did nothing."

Leon shrugged and began picking at the wood on the table. "I didn't realize that you were asked so often about your mother; I wouldn't have pushed as hard last night if I knew."

"It's not your fault." Cloud responded lowly. He kept his eyes trained on the beautiful boy beside him. "You didn't know."

There was a moment of silence between the two as both searched for something to say to the other.

"At least you didn't throw a hissy fit in front of half the school." Cloud broke the silence first in a light hearted tone.

Leon pursed his lips and his eyes softened. "At least I didn't do that." he said, nudging Cloud's arm with his own.

That one gesture, one second of friendly contact, sent Cloud's head spinning. He knew Leon held a lot of power over him but he didn't realize how strong it was until that moment. He stilled his body in hopes of holding on to the tingling sensation he felt on his skin where Leon had made contact and smiled to himself at Leon's contented eyes on him.

"Well, thanks for my stuff." Cloud finally managed to get out. "I'm relieved that I don't have to go back to the caf."

Leon nodded and refocused his eyes on the wood. "I'm going out with Eric and a few of his friends this weekend." he started, picking at the wood once more. "Do you have plans?"

Cloud looked at Leon again and shook his head. "Umm… no."

"Want to come, then?" Leon asked, looking up at Cloud again. "It's just drinks at the park but it's supposed to be a nice weekend."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't want to come uninvited."

"I asked him if I could bring a friend." Leon explained. "He doesn't mind if you come."

Cloud looked back down at the table and took a deep breath. If he understood this correctly, Leon was invited to hang out with Eric and his friends and he actually thought to ask to bring Cloud along? Unprompted; just wanted Cloud to be there? He felt his heart pick up pace and willed it to slow down again. He couldn't explain the things Leon did to him unknowingly and he'd rather keep Leon out of the loop.

"Sure, I mean, if you're sure they won't mind." Cloud finally answered.

Leon nodded. "They don't mind. I wouldn't have said yes to Eric if I thought they'd have a problem with it."

Once again, Cloud found his heart racing at what Leon had just said. What did it matter if Cloud was accepted or not? A friend is a friend and Leon could have more than one set if he chose to. Cloud fought to suppress the smile threatening to break across his face. He thought that maybe he was reading too much into all of this, but it seemed that Leon really cared about their blooming friendship and more importantly: him.

"Alright," Cloud allowed a small smile. "Sounds good."

Leon nodded as his expression remained impassive. Impassive, but Cloud knew otherwise. "Saturday night, that's all I know so far. Eric is going to call me later." Leon explained. "Do you have a cell phone? I can call you when I find out."

"Yeah," Cloud answered, pulling out his cell phone as Leon did the same. "Give me your number. I'll call you so my number will register."

Leon told Cloud his number as the blond dialed. They let the phone ring before cancelling the call, both saving each other's number in their phone before stuffing them back into their pockets. "I'll let you know when I find out." Leon said lightly.

Cloud nodded as the bell rang to announce the end of lunch. "Shit, I'm going to be late for class…"

Leon stood up from the bench. "I grabbed my text when I looked for you at the lockers. You can share mine."

"Thanks." Cloud smiled and shouldered his bag as the two boys began walking towards their next class.

-.-.-.-

Brad, Brantley, and Xander looked up from their books as Leon and Cloud entered the classroom. The trio held uncertain expressions as the boys approached the desks near them and Cloud offered them an uneasy smile in hopes to be reassuring. They seemed to take it with stride as they smiled back at him.

"Yo, Cloud," Xander started. "I'm sorry about lunch. I was being stupid-"

"Don't worry about it." Cloud interrupted. "Lets just not bring it up again, 'kay?"

Xander nodded before looking over to Brantley. Brantley's eyes shifted back to Cloud. "We were just worried." he offered, earning a sigh from the blond.

"It's fine. Just leave it alone."

Brantley started to say something before he was interrupted by Leon. "What page are we on?" he asked, flipping through the textbook. Brantley's mouth snapped shut as he took the hint and relaxed back in his chair.

Cloud couldn't help but give a light smile at Leon's subtle change of topic. The fact that no one answered and Leon turned the book to the proper page was proof enough for Cloud that he was protecting Cloud from a repeat episode of lunch.

The teacher walked into the classroom and started the lesson immediately. Leon stood up, moved his desk next to Cloud's, and pushed the textbook between them as Cloud fumbled for a pen and paper. The blond looked up at Leon with a smile and mouthed the word 'thanks'. It was returned with a brief nod as Leon refocused on the lesson.

When instructed to answer a few questions, Cloud couldn't help his pulse as it sped up when both his and Leon's heads leaned in close to see the textbook properly. He had to remind himself not to be stupid; that they were sharing a textbook because he was stupid enough to throw a tantrum at school and would have been late for class had he had stopped by his locker beforehand. Still, he couldn't help but smile as his face drew closer to Leon's to read the assigned question.

He also couldn't help but notice the way Xander and Brantley smiled at him when they noticed the goofy grin on his face from being so close to Leon. Brantley kicked the leg of Cloud's chair gently to get his attention and was met with a playful glare. Leon looked up at Brantley, who mouthed a quick apology before smirking at Cloud. His school friends were going to be the death of him, or so Cloud thought.

The rest of the school day went on without anything notable happening. Cloud still marveled over how close he was to Leon when they shared a textbook, but it wasn't until they walked back to their lockers before they said anything to one another again.

"I'll call you later." Leon said, breaking the silence snapping Cloud out of his daydream.

"Huh?" Cloud responded dumbly before recovering less than smoothly. "Oh, right. Details about Saturday; cool." He closed his eyes and shook his head.

Leon paused in packing his bag and looked at the blond intently. "I know you're going to hate me for asking, but are you alright?"

Cloud stopped packing his bag and looked back into what almost seemed to be concerned blue-gray eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I just spaced out."

Leon turned his head slightly but kept his eyes locked on the blond. "You get this way when it's time to go home."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows, keeping his eyes on Leon's. "Was that a question?"

Leon shook his head and resumed packing his bag. "No. It was an observation." He looked back at Cloud and tilted his head, a gesture Cloud was rapidly falling in love with. "You need sleep. I won't call late."

Cloud closed his locker and was instantly reminded of the intense fatigue he felt. His body slumped against the cool metal door and he felt his eyes physically droop. "I'll be awake. Have to finish my homework anyhow."

Leon gave a brief nod before looking down the hallway. "Call me if…" he paused then shook his head. He let out a deep sigh then looked back at the blond. "You have a friend you can rely on."

Cloud took a moment to absorb what Leon was trying to say. He knew that the brunet would tread lightly around the topic of his mother from now on and he felt a little guilty for making such a big deal of it. He didn't think it was worthy of such attention, but a part of him wanted to relish in the attention he received from the brunet.

"I know. Thanks, Leon." Cloud finally responded, arching his back off his locker before taking a couple of steps away from the brunet. "I'll talk to you later."

Cloud began walking towards the exit and couldn't help but feel a strong gaze upon his back. He knew Leon was watching him leave and debated whether or not he was going to glance back to confirm this or not. As if by instinct, he looked over his shoulder before he could decide and wasn't surprised to find stormy blue-gray eyes still on him. He gave a half-hearted smile before turning his head from the stare and took a deep breath. Leon seemed unsettled; his eyes brewing that familiar storm as he watched Cloud. It almost made him want to turn around and go back but he knew that he wouldn't have anything to say and would ultimately look like a clingy friend.

Leon's eyes occupied Cloud's mind for the walk home as he mindlessly kicked a pebble. He couldn't help but feel that with each passing day he was falling harder for the brunet and he wondered how long this would go on before he completely lost control and said something he would regret. For someone so jaded, Leon was very perceptive and caring. One would think of his kind as sort of a loner; removed from the world but that wasn't him. It made Cloud wonder what really went on in Balamb. Something must have happened to make Leon want to start over but it wasn't something he was willing to talk about.

Cloud paused and tensed for a moment as the feeling of being watched overtook him. He immediately looked around and became defensive as Tony's sneering face was a few paces behind him.

"Oi, Cloud. Hold up a minute." Tony said, his smirk never leaving his face.

Cloud turned his body to face Tony and willed himself to remain calm. He didn't say a word as Tony caught up and placed an arm around his shoulders, a gesture that was immediately rejected as Cloud shrugged it off.

"We need to talk for a sec, 'kay?" Tony continued as a few of his friends approached the two. "I have a proposition for you."

"Not interested." Cloud said, eyeing Tony's friends suspiciously as they drew closer.

"At least hear me out." Tony said, tilting his head in a way so much unlike Leon. "If you manage to bring your new friend to my party-"

"He doesn't want to go, Tony." Cloud interrupted. "Why are you having so much trouble understanding that?"

Tony's arm relocated around Cloud's shoulders firmly as Tony lowered his voice. "Trust me, it'll be a lot easier for you if you do as you're told."

Cloud attempted to shrug Tony's arm off of him but Tony only held it there with more pressure. "I'm not threatened by you." Cloud said, voice lowering angrily.

Tony's friends laughed as their ring leader grinned wickedly. "The homo's got balls." he said before turning his attention back on Cloud. "Consider this a warning."

Before Cloud could respond, Tony punched him in the jaw sending the blond back a few steps. Anger immediately took over as Cloud launched forward and took a swing at Tony, connecting with his nose and sending him to the ground. Tony' friends didn't hesitate before getting involved and starting swinging at Cloud. Cloud was fast enough to dodge most of the punches and his adrenaline allowed him to recover from the few that did connect. He kicked at the knees of the two guys closest to him hearing a howl of pain with satisfaction before a blunt pain shot through his spine.

Cloud dropped to his knees and looked back behind him to find Tony standing above him with a large stick from a nearby tree. Cloud spat out the blood that was pooling in his mouth and took a shuddering breath.

Tony looked down the road cautiously before dropping the stick. "Consider what I've told you, faggot." he snarled before motioning for his friends to follow him.

Cloud watched the group walk away before he stood up. His back protested the movement as Cloud rolled his neck in attempts to alleviate the pain and he spat out more blood. A quick check and Cloud concluded that he wasn't all that injured as he hurried home. He tried to appear normal as he slowed his pace but in all honesty he just wanted to get home.

Once safely inside his home he locked the door and ran his hands down his face. His breath hitched as his palm ran over his bruising jaw and he looked down to assess the damage. His clothes looked fine; other than the bruise on his jaw, the slightly bloodied mouth, and the mark he could feel forming on his back where he was struck with the stick, he appeared to be alright.

A slam came from the kitchen drawing Cloud's mind from his own damage just before his mother's voice was heard cursing at some offending item that was unfortunate enough to have his mother's attention. Choosing to ignore her, Cloud quietly made his way upstairs and quickly locked his bedroom door. He threw his bag on his bed before pulling off his shirt, flinching as his up stretched arms causing the pain in his spine to spike.

Cloud moved in front of his mirror and turned around. He looked over his shoulder to find the flesh red and blue where he was struck. He moved his arms around and bit his lip as he surveyed his injury concluding that it was just a bruise and nothing more. He turned his body back around and leaned in closer to the mirror inspecting the bruise forming on his jaw before his tongue darted out and ran over his split lip. He shook his head; he'd had worse before.

Cloud walked over to the closet and pulled out a fresh shirt. As he removed the hanger from the article of clothing he glanced back to the mirror and looked over his half naked body. His thoughts roamed as he pulled on his shirt to the image of Leon in the change room before gym. He boy was gorgeous and he began mentally comparing their physique before his mother's voice interrupted his thoughts from downstairs.

"Cloud, I know you're home! Come here!"

Cloud looked at his reflection in the mirror and rolled his eyes. He took a deep breath and went downstairs to where he was being summoned.

"Would you look at this mess!" his mother shouted. "Nothing in this damn house stays clean! I wish you would contribute to the upkeep every now and again!"

Cloud resisted the urge to respond. He wanted to say something snarky but thought better of it. It would only make things worse. Instead, Cloud began gathering the garbage that his mother had thrown everywhere in hopes that once the mess was gone she would go pass out somewhere.

"And over there, too." his mother's slurring voice said, pointing to the dining area while placing her hand on Cloud's back. Cloud flinched as her hand caused his pain to spike once more. This didn't go unnoticed by his inebriated mother.

"What's your problem?" he sneered at him. Before Cloud could respond she grabbed his arm with one hand and lifted his shirt with the other. Her eyes went wide when she noticed the bruise just as Cloud freed himself from her grip and took a few steps back.

"And your face!" she continued to observe. Her eyes went from wide to angry. "Have you been fighting again?" she shouted angrily. "Why do you always have to be such a pain in the ass?!"

Cloud paused for a moment, watching everything in his mother's world become his fault before he shook his head. "I was protecting myself." he offered lowly.

"Bullshit!" his mother shouted. "You little prick! Now you're beating up other kids? Is there anything about you that isn't a disappointment?"

"I was just-" Cloud's frustration grew as he was interrupted again.

"First your father leaves then you have to turn out gay; you never help around the house, you're beating other kids up; why is my life so damn difficult!" she screamed at Cloud, taking a few paces closer to her son.

Cloud shook his head and turned towards the stairs before he felt her grab the back of his shirt. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" she shouted.

Cloud bit his tongue, fighting back tears. There was nothing he could say. Instead, he tugged his shirt from her grasp and ran to his room, slamming to door behind him and securely locking it. He leaned against the door and slid to the floor. He would not let himself cry this time. It was only seconds later before his mother was at his door, pounding on the wood and screaming for him to let her in.

Cloud hid his face in his hands and tried to regain control of his breathing. The urge to both cry and scream back at her were so tempting, but he told himself that he was stronger than that; that he could handle this.

The shouting from the other side of the door didn't stop as Cloud began rocking himself, hands shaking as they hid his face. Cloud ignored what his mother was shouting but a few words managed to slip in; words that he was so used to hearing by now but hurt nonetheless. Words that hurt, but he refused to react to.

He sat there for a few minutes listening to his mother's tantrum before his cell phone began to vibrate. He removed his hands from his face, completely unaware of the dampness around his eyes, as he looked at the display. His heart froze as he saw Leon's name flashing on the screen and hesitated to answer it. His mother was still screaming obscenities and pounding on the door, something Leon would be able to hear over the line.

He let the phone vibrate for a few seconds longer before the urge to hear Leon's voice compelled him to answer. He lifted himself up onto his feet and made his way over to the furthest point in his room from the door before answering.

"Hello?" Cloud's voice was barely a whisper and he cursed himself for sounding so weak.

"Cloud?" Leon's voice sounded concerned instantly. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" Cloud knew he hadn't hid his emotional state from Leon as Leon was able to pick up on it just from one word. The sound of Leon's voice broke something inside of the blond as Cloud's body collapsed on itself. He sunk to the floor and remained quiet as tears spilled down his face.

There was a moment of silence as Cloud couldn't answer Leon without making it obvious that he was crying. His mother was still pounding and screaming at his door, using a few choice words and Cloud prayed that Leon couldn't hear too much.

"Cloud?" Leon tried again after listening to the sounds coming from the other side of the line. Cloud marveled at how soft and caring Leon's voice sounded saying his name. It caused his chest to tighten as fresh tears spilled from blue eyes.

"I can't talk right now." Cloud said, cringing as his voice broke.

"Leave your bedroom light on." Leon said, voice sounding emotionless once again.

"What?" Cloud asked, so desperate to hear the other's voice but the need to end the call before Leon heard too much from his mother was strong.

"Just leave your bedroom light on." Leon repeated before the line went dead.

Cloud looked down at his phone as the counter stopped signaling that the call had ended. Cloud wasn't sure what Leon had meant by leaving his bedroom light on but he wasn't going to question it. He needed something to focus on right now as his mother's tantrum was beginning to break him. He walked slowly towards the wall and flicked on his light, eyes screwing up at the sudden brightness before he sat on his bed.

He looked down at this phone again and began searching his recent calls; Leon's name being at the top of the list. He stared at his name for a few moments, heart warming just by the sight of his name, before a smashing sound came from outside his door. He was sure his mother had just thrown her whiskey glass at his door and he made a mental note to watch his step when he left his room again.

He looked back at Leon's name with a soft smile as he felt himself begin to calm down again. He locked away his anger and frustration as his mind was consumed by thoughts of the brunet. His tears had stopped and he wondered just what Leon had meant before he ended their call.

-o-o-o-

*heart breaks* Why am I so cruel to Cloud? And what _did_ Leon mean? Guess you'll have to wait and find out! XD In the mean time, care to leave a review? Please? They make me happy.

*eats reviews*


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: And here's the next chapter. I don't have too much to say other than I'm growing to adore Leon more and more with every chapter. I hope you like him too! I'm having a lot of fun with this pairing.

Please R&R! Please?

-o-o-o-

At some point Cloud's mother gave up trying to get into Cloud's room. The silence following the constant screaming was almost eerie as Cloud sat listening to the nothingness. He figured that she realized she threw her drink at his door and needed a new one, or that the drugs had her so high that she forgot what she was doing and wandered off.

Either way, Cloud was almost grateful that it had ended but a part of him wished he knew what was going on. He always felt better when he knew exactly where his mother was or what she was doing; it was sometimes safer that way. The little flicker of anxiety was still very apparent in his chest but he couldn't be bothered by that at this moment; his mind was elsewhere. His mind was still focusing on the thought of Leon and he wasn't too sure what the brunet had meant when he told him to leave his bedroom light on. None of that mattered to him right now anyhow. His mind was far too lost in thinking about the other when at school, the way he looked at him in stats class that afternoon, the half smile he let slip – Cloud still marveled at that happy look that almost escaped from Leon. Although it had only lasted for a second and was partially hidden, Cloud could see that although already gorgeous, Leon was unbelievably stunning if he would allow himself to smile.

Cloud smiled softly to himself as his hands continued to fumble with his phone as he sat on his bed. It was hard to describe the feelings he felt when he thought about the brunet. A calm blanketed his body and lifted his spirits, no matter how bad things felt beforehand. Even the creepy silence in the house wasn't bothering him too much. He was curious, sure, but really couldn't care enough to look into it.

Cloud took a deep breath as a new wave of fatigue washed over his form causing his body to slump where he sat. He blinked a few times to ward off the heavy feeling causing his eyes to droop before bringing his hands to his face. He rubbed at his eyes in hopes to washing away his drowsiness before a loud crash from downstairs was heard throughout the house.

Cloud started at the sound before shaking his head as his mother's voice followed the loud sound with a new tantrum. The blond shook his head before burying his face in his palms. He rested his elbows against his lap and continued to rub at his eyes in hopes that he could calm down enough to make it through the night without breaking again.

His body tensed once more as another loud crash was heard from downstairs and Cloud kept his face buried in his hands in attempts to ignore the noises. His attention was caught by the sound a light tapping coming from the window seconds later. His eyebrows furrowed as he dropped his hands and looked over to see a face in his bedroom window, startled at first, but that was quickly replaced with overwhelming joy as he recognized the jaded face to be Leon's.

Leon tapped on the window again and beckoned the still stunned Cloud over. Cloud wasn't sure if he was smiling or not but he felt like he was. He felt like his face was splitting in two from delight.

As he made his way over to the window he furrowed his eyebrows again wondering how Leon was just outside his window when he was two stories up. Cloud made it to the window and opened it with ease to find Leon clinging to the side of the house, looking at Cloud with dead, yet concerned, eyes.

"You alright?" Leon asked before the blond could say anything.

"Leon," Cloud said with a smile, head shaking back and forth as he poked his head out of the window to see exactly how Leon was holding himself up. "How did you-"

"I climbed." Leon responded after a brief pause in Cloud's question. "Thought it might be better than using the doorbell." he added as another crash was heard from downstairs causing Cloud to flinch slightly.

Cloud was still inspecting the side of his house as Leon answered before pulling his head back in and looked over to his door with a deep frown. "She drinks a lot and takes these pills. I usually hide out here when she's like this." the blond offered as an explanation. He received no response as Leon's eyes were focused on the blond's face, examining the bruise on his jaw and his cut lip.

Cloud looked back over at Leon and took a step back. "You wanna come in?" he asked uneasily as his mother began cursing at something or other.

Leon rested his chin on his forearm and sighed, eyes still roaming over the blond's injuries. That was _not_ how he left him that afternoon. The brunet's eyes refocused on baby blue and he remained perfectly still, almost as if perfectly comfortable clinging to the side of the house. "Grab your bag and a change of clothes." he said after a moment of silence. "Come stay with me tonight."

Cloud's eyes stared into Leon's in almost disbelief. He wasn't sure if that was a request or an order. "I…" he started before realizing he had nothing to say.

Leon sighed once more before launching himself upwards, swinging his feet into the blond's bedroom, and standing up straight once he was inside. Cloud's mother's mantra of curses and complaining was still going strong from downstairs. "I just think it would be better if you would come home with me tonight." Leon explained as he took a step towards Cloud, eyes flickering to his bruised jaw before going back to his eyes. "Unless you think you'll be able to complete your homework and get a good night's rest staying here."

Cloud looked towards his door, eyes lowering to the floor before resting on his school bag on the bed. Of course he wanted to leave with Leon; his heart leapt at the thought, but he felt a little awkward having Leon come swooping in to save the day. "If it's alright with you, I guess…" he offered meekly.

Leon nodded before moving to the side of Cloud's bed. "Grab some clothes." he ordered as he leaned over and grabbed Cloud's bag.

Cloud's limbs felt numb as they carried him to his closet. He pulled out a fresh outfit before moving to his dresser then bathroom to grab the remaining articles he would need. As he closed his dresser drawer his breath hitched as Leon moved beside him, placing his now open bag on the dresser and holding it open for his clothes and toothbrush. Cloud packed them before Leon zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He moved towards the window with a soft 'c'mon' before beginning to climb out.

Cloud watched the brunet lower his bottom half down before he let himself fall to the ground soundlessly. Cloud poked his head out of the window to find Leon standing on the ground looking back up at him.

"Am I supposed to jump?" Cloud asked in disbelief. Leon managed to make it down without breaking a leg and he wondered if he was expected to do the same.

"That was the plan," Leon answered, tilting his head slightly as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "I won't let you fall."

Cloud took a deep breath before looking over his shoulder. His mother was still in the middle of a tantrum so he figured: what does he have to lose? Cloud swung his legs out of the window and turned himself to face the side of the house as he held on to the window ledge. He kicked himself out as he let go, breath catching in throat as he fell to the ground. He landed on his feet and stumbled back a few steps before strong, warm arms wrapped around his body.

Stilling his body for some unknown reason, Cloud stiffened in the warm almost-embrace as his heart started to calm down. Once the sound of blood pumping through his veins quieted, he could hear Leon's soft breath close to his ear as he held him close. It was over much too soon, though, as Cloud regained his balance Leon let go of him and took a step back.

"See? Easy, ya?" Leon offered, a quiet amusement flickering in his expressionless eyes.

Cloud turned around to face Leon with a smirk on his lips. "Less than graceful."

Leon shrugged and closed one eye in an almost wink. "You'll get the hang of it."

"I don't plan on jumping out of my bedroom window all that often in the future." Cloud responded as he followed Leon's lead walking away from the house.

Leon didn't respond, eyes looking back at the house once more before trailing to the blond. There was much he wanted to say, to ask, but he didn't feel like now was the appropriate time to do so. Watching the blond for a moment in his bedroom before he tapped on the window, he looked so stressed, so breakable and fragile but now he was smiling after Leon's little rescue episode. Although tonight's events would be spoken about eventually, Leon wanted to preserve the happy feeling for the blond for a little while longer.

"Are you sure your parents are alright with me coming over for the night?" Cloud broke Leon's inner thoughts.

Leon pursed his lips for a brief second before slowing his pace slightly so the two were walking side by side. "I don't live with my parents."

Cloud's eyes darted up to meet with blue-gray. "That's got to be so cool." he said with a soft chuckle. "Who do you live with?"

"A roommate." Leon answered, eyes falling to the ground in front of him.

"Is your roommate a friend from Balamb?" Cloud asked, watching Leon's expressionless face as he walked.

"No," Leon answered. "Just a guy who needed a roommate when I came here. I didn't know him before I moved in."

"That must have been weird." Cloud responded, eyes glancing at the houses as they passed them by.

"He's alright." Leon offered before looking back up at the blond. "Did she do that to you?" He couldn't _not_ ask anymore. The thought of anyone hurting the blond infuriated him.

Cloud looked back at Leon with a hint of confusion playing in his eyes. "What?"

Leon stopped walking causing the blond to follow suit. "This," Leon reached out to the blond and ran a gentle finger down Cloud's jaw. Once his finger reached the bottom of his chin he moved Cloud's head to the side to get a better look at the forming bruise. Cloud was too stunned by the contact to say or do too much but hold his breath.

Leon took another step closer to Cloud and focused more on the cut lip, running his thumb gently over the wound. "And this," he asked as his thumb trailed over the blond's lip before turning his head in the other direction to inspect for more injuries. When none were found he turned Cloud's head back and once more ran his fingers over his bruised jaw once more.

"What happened?" Leon asked in a hushed voice, eyes gliding up smoothly to connect with Cloud's.

Cloud's breath hitched; Leon's fingers were still touching his face and he fought the urge to reach up and touch Leon's hand. His heart was pounding in his chest and he struggled to regain control over his body.

"Cloud," Leon started, dropping his hand from the blond's face and hiking the blond's bag up on his shoulder more comfortably. "Why did she do this to you?" His voice sounded like velvet and sent shivers down Cloud's spine.

Cloud snapped out of his trance a moment later and shook his head. "She didn't do this."

Leon rolled his eyes and shifted his weight. Cloud caught on to his minor annoyance and shook his head again. "It wasn't her, it was Tony." he explained. Obviously that didn't make Leon feel all that much better.

Leon's eyes shot back to meet Cloud's and the blond couldn't help but notice the storm beginning to whirl within his eyes. "Tony? When did this happen?" he brunet asked, his voice no longer soft but hard and cold like granite.

Cloud shook his head and sighed. "After school when I was walking home." He noticed the storm picking up speed. "It's alright, Leon. I hurt them as badly as they hurt me."

"That's beside the point." Leon said, voice a little more angry than before. "Why?"

Cloud huffed and allowed a smile to play across his lips. "They wanted me to convince you to go to Tony's party this weekend." Cloud began feeling stupid as soon as he told Leon what had happened. He chuckled and shook his head. "It's just stupid, okay? Don't worry about anything."

Cloud noticed Leon's jaw clench as the storm in his eyes raged full force. If it wasn't for that storm or the tightening of his jaw, Leon would seem otherwise nonchalant but Cloud knew what he was looking at. He was desperate to make this better.

"Can we not talk about Tony tonight?" Cloud requested as he looked down the street. The sun was beginning to set and he wanted nothing more than to enjoy his evening with Leon. His heart picked up pace as he thought about going to Leon's home.

Leon's eyes looked off to the side randomly before he nodded. "As you wish." he responded as he started walking towards his house again. There was an uneasy silence between the two as they continued their walk. It was Leon who broke it first.

"I originally called to tell you that I spoke with Eric about Saturday."

"Oh, right." Cloud nodded. "What are the plans?"

"They're going to the liquor store around six then meeting up at the pool hall afterwards." Leon explained. "We'll hang there then afterwards head to the park for some more drinks."

"Isn't drinking in public illegal?" Cloud asked, looking over at the brunet.

Leon sniffed and pursed his lips. "Only if you get caught."

Cloud smiled and nodded his head. "I suck at pool." he added.

Leon looked over at the blond, eyes holding the same indifferent-yet-amused look they've been showing a lot as of lately. "Then you'll be my handicap."

Cloud snorted followed by a chuckle he couldn't suppress. "I'm quite the handicap."

Leon nodded before refocusing on the road ahead. "I'm sure we'll do just fine."

Idle chitchat filled the time it took for them to make it back to Leon's place. Cloud smiled as he looked over the white bungalow thinking it looked rather cozy. Leon led him inside where they were greeted by playful cursing coming from the living room.

"Oi, Leon!" a voice shouted out. "Come check this out! I need a witness to prove I kicked Irvine's ass in Pong!"

"Zell's lying!" the other voice, presumably Irvine's, shouted back. "He's winning one game out of twenty nine so far!"

Leon looked over at Cloud, lips twitching. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to put up with this childishness until they pass out."

Cloud's face broke out in a full smile, chuckling. "I didn't know people still played Pong these days."

Leon shook his head and kicked off his boots, Cloud following suit. "They don't."

Cloud followed Leon into the living area to find two men playing Pong on the highest speed. Both their bodies twitched as the pong hit their paddle, causing Leon to shake his head. "This is so embarrassing."

Cloud looked over at Leon with a wide smile before watching the game again. Zell was much more animated than the other and Cloud wondered which one was Leon's roommate. He could never see Leon sitting down to a video game, but then again he hadn't really known Leon all that well to begin with.

Zell cheered loudly as the pong made it passed Irvine's paddle and stood up to dance around. Irvine threw his controller at Zell and shook his head before looking behind him at the other two boys.

"Oh! Leon, you brought a friend! We can play partners now!" Irvine said happily. Leon shook his head causing the strawberry blond to frown slightly.

Zell seemed to just notice Cloud's presence and stopped dancing. "First impressions, huh?" he laughed before reaching a hand over to Cloud. "I'm Zell, Leon's roommate."

Cloud took Zell's hand and shook it with a smile.

"This is Cloud." Leon introduced. "He a friend from school." He motioned to Irvine. "That's Irvine, a friend of Zell's, who practically lives here."

Cloud smiled at Irvine and offered a short wave. Irvine tipped his cowboy hat at the blond with a grin. "Howdy."

Leon huffed and shook his head. "He thinks he's a cowboy." he offered quietly.

Cloud's eyes darted up to meet Leon's before falling back on the other two boys. "Nice to meet you."

"You boys in for Pong partners?" Zell asked, sitting back down on the couch.

Leon looked over at Cloud who closed one eye and scrunched his nose. Leon nodded before turning back to the other two. "We have homework to get done."

Irvine snorted and shook his head. "High school kids, ya?" he said, nudging Zell on the arm with a grin.

"I don't remember being that dedicated when we were in high school." Zell laughed as he launched a new game before Irvine could retrieve his controller. He cheered loudly as the Pong flew past Irvine's paddle.

"Probably why you lost your scholarship." Leon remarked, taking Cloud's elbow in his hand and guiding him out of the living room, unknowingly causing the blond's heart rate to pick up again.

"Ouch, Leon!" Zell shouted after his cheer, getting whacking in the head by a vengeful Irvine. "Ouch, Irvine!"

Leon rolled his eyes and brought Cloud to his room.

"They seem nice." Cloud commented as Leon closed his bedroom door and placed Cloud's bag down on his bed.

"They are." Leon agreed, unzipping Cloud's bag and removing his clothes. Cloud watched in fascination as Leon unfolded the blond's clothes, putting them on hangers, and hung them up on a hook just outside of his en-suite bathroom. He removed Cloud's fresh boxers and socks, much to Cloud's embarrassment, and placed them on his dresser before putting his toothbrush in the bathroom. "Have you done any homework yet?" he asked casually, turning to face the blond again.

Cloud rubbed the back of his head and bit his lower lip. "Didn't have an opportunity to start yet." he answered.

"Me neither." Leon said, walking towards his desk and pulling a few books out of his own bag.

Cloud made his way over to Leon's bed and took a seat on the edge. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was sitting in Leon's bedroom. Leon grabbed his books and took a seat on the other side of the bed. "Can I ask you a question?" Leon interrupted Cloud's reeling thoughts.

Cloud looked over at the brunet and grinned. "Will I get to ask you one afterwards?"

Leon's lips tightened, as if he meant to smile before nodding.

"Then go ahead." Cloud prompted, mentally preparing himself for a tough discussion ahead.

Leon took a deep breath and looked down at his textbook. "I must apologize in advance if I upset you, but how often does shit like this happen?"

Cloud busied his hands with the seam of his shirt. "Tony or my mother?"

Leon thought of a moment before answering. "Both."

"You realize this will count as two separate questions." the blond said with a smile. Leon gave a short nod before Cloud continued. "My mother is almost a nightly occurrence, each night to a varying degree." he began. "As time goes on she finds it easier to find something to flip out about from night to night. Tony, it's getting a little worse now, but I expect something from him every few days."

Leon blinked a couple of times as he worked with this new information. "Does your mother ever hit you?" he asked, eyes roaming the blond's features.

"Sometimes," Cloud answered. As much as he wanted to keep his home life private, he couldn't bring himself to lie to Leon. "Nothing terrible; she slaps me sometimes but mostly I get shit thrown at me."

"And the yelling?" Leon prompted.

Cloud sighed and looked over at the bedroom window. "That's a given, but it's because she's drunk and high most of the time."

"Not a very good excuse." Leon offered, eyes remaining on the blond. "How often would you say you _don't_ have a night like tonight at home?"

Cloud paused and couldn't bring himself to look at the brunet. The answer was _never_, but for some reason he couldn't get the word out of his mouth. He didn't want to be pitied. He didn't want Leon to feel sorry for him. The silence drew on for a few moments longer.

"Cloud," Leon said softly, moving closer to him on the bed. "How often?"

Cloud shook his head and looked down at his hands. "I can't remember the last time something didn't happen." he answered lowly.

Leon moved closer still until he was sitting on the edge of the bed beside Cloud. Once settled he cracked his knuckles and looked down to the floor. "That's not right."

Cloud sighed and shook his head. "It's just until I graduate and find a place of my own."

"And Tony?"

Cloud paused for a moment. "That will end once I graduate, too, I suppose."

"So, what is supposed to happen between now and graduation?" Leon asked, looking over at the blond.

Cloud looked up at Leon but found he couldn't bear to meet those eyes. He diverted his gaze to the safety of the bedroom window again. "I wait."

Leon sighed and shook his head. "Why didn't you call me tonight? After Tony and this thing with your mother, I thought you knew you had a friend you could rely on."

Leon's words stung and Cloud fought to stop his chest from tightening painfully. He couldn't and his chest felt like it was trying to smother his heart. He could feel tears well up in his eyes and absolutely refused to let even one of them fall. "I know that, it's just I couldn't do anything about it. It's not uncommon so I just put up with it until-" Cloud stopped his rambling explanation as he realized that he wasn't helping his cause. His explanation wasn't answering the question. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "There's nothing you could have done."

Leon raised his eyebrows and leaned forward to catch the blond's eyes. "Nothing I could have done?"

Cloud began to shake his head before his brain caught up with the conversation. Here he was sitting on Leon's bed, out of his own house, and away from his psychotic mother and he was telling Leon that there was nothing the brunet could do for him? His eyes were drawn to Leon's as the brunet leaned forward and the blond smiled softly. "I must sound so stupid."

Leon's eyes narrowed as they kept Cloud's stare. "Not at all; I'm just having one hell of a time trying to convince you that this whole thing is a lot worse than you will admit to yourself. I may not be able to stop your mother, but I sure as hell can take you away from her when times get bad and as for Tony, I can fix that too."

Cloud's eyes widened as Leon leaned back, keeping the blond's gaze but looking far more determined than empathetic. "What do you mean?" Cloud asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Is that your question to me?" Leon asked, eyes softening.

Cloud tightened his lips. "I get two questions tonight, so yeah, this is one of them."

Leon nodded then looked up to the wall. "Tony is going to have to learn that if he keeps fucking with a friend of mine then he'll have to pay dearly." Leon's voice was low, confident, and almost angry. It was an eerie tone so unlike anything Cloud had ever heard coming from him before.

"That doesn't answer my question." Cloud responded. In all honesty, his mind was still playing with the words Leon used. The protectiveness behind his words towards Cloud and the anger apparent in his voice because of what was happening to the blond made Cloud feel something he had never felt before. He caught a glimpse of this feeling when Leon walked him home last night after the diner but never did he feel so… taken care of. Cloud took in a deep breath and shook his head. "Knowing that I don't want you to get involved, what do you mean you'll make him _pay dearly_?"

Leon looked back at the blond. "You are able to take care of yourself, this I know." he began explaining. "But it pisses me off when he'll do this to you," he started as he gently cupped Cloud's face in his palm over the bruise to emphasize his point "in hopes that, what? I'll come to his little party this weekend?"

Cloud unconsciously leaned into Leon's hand, feeling the warmth surrounding his bruise. Leon didn't seem to notice this gesture or care that it happened.

Leon looked into Cloud's eyes, the storm brewing strongly but subsiding slightly. He ran his smooth thumb over Cloud's cut lip again and titled his head. "If Tony is involving me in his escapades, then I'm involved and you will _not_ be used as a tool against me."

"He doesn't want to hurt you." Cloud said softly, still leaning in Leon's touch.

Leon tilted his head slightly, causing Cloud to become even more breathless. He gently ran his thumb along Cloud's lips again, this time not limiting his touch to the injury before pulling his hand back slowly. "I don't think he wants to hurt me, but there's no way I'm going to let him continue to hurt you, _especially_ when it involves getting to me for whatever reason."

Cloud let out a slow breath and looked down to the ground. He couldn't get over the intimacy they had just shared. He wondered whether Leon knew what he was doing when he touched Cloud so softly; if he was able to hear Cloud's heartbeat pound in his chest, or was he just trying to hit his point home? Once again, Cloud felt as though he was reading too much into things as he allowed his pulse to drop back down to a more normal pace. Leon continued to look at the blond with stormy eyes and a jaded expression as he allowed the blond a moment to take this all in.

"I…" Cloud began, unsure of what to say after such an intense moment.

"You…" Leon started for him before bailing him out. "Have another question for me."

Cloud couldn't help but smile. He felt almost giddy at the moment and shook his head as he rubbed his eyes. "Tell me about your family."

When he removed his hands from his eyes he noticed a dark cloud forming in the brunet's eyes.

"You want to know about my family?" the brunet confirmed. Cloud nodded.

"My mother died when I was six." he began, an air of indifference apparent in his voice.

"I'm sorry." Cloud offered, eyes slackening as they met with Leon's.

Leon only shook his head. "Its fine, she took her own life after shit when down at home." he explained, launching into the rest of his story before the blond could ask another question. "My father was an all-out business man, an entrepreneur, with this wild dream that we would be rich and I would take over the family business so he could retire early. I really didn't have the drive to make that my life's ambition, much to his disappointment, but I played along for awhile." Leon looked back up at the wall in front of him and was quiet for a moment. "He and I had a falling out a few years back and life became a struggle; just getting by one day at a time without getting in each other's way. After a few years of that I decided to leave and start a new life where I didn't have to deal with him anymore or any of his bullshit."

"What happened?" Cloud asked, not missing the defensive look that momentarily flickered across the brunet's face.

"That's not good story telling." Leon answered, brushing the question aside.

Cloud decided not to push. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Leon paused a moment before shaking his head. "No, none that I know of anyhow."

Cloud nodded before looking down at his own hands. "That's why you came here, to get away from him?"

"To get away from a lot of stuff, but yeah, that was one reason." Leon answered before looking behind him at textbooks. "What do you say we get on our homework? You need an early night to catch up on some rest."

Cloud was silent. He didn't want to end this exchange between him and Leon even though they did have a good hour or so of homework ahead of them. "I suppose." he responded, turning around to retrieve his bag. "Where do we start?"

"Stats," Leon answered, the dark cloud disappearing almost instantly before being replaced by his usual expressionless disposition.

Cloud nodded and the two began to complete their assigned homework.

By the time they had finished, Cloud found it hard to keep his eyes open. He fought to appear alert, but the emotional night he had the night before, the little sleep last night followed by another difficult night was really taking its toll on him. Leon didn't not notice this as they packed up for the night.

Leon launched himself off of his bed and made his way over to his dresser. He pulled out two pairs of pajama bottoms and looked over to the blond. "You can sleep in these, if you want." he offered, showing Cloud the night bottoms.

Cloud nodded as the pants were tossed to him. "Thanks," he said quietly, looking towards the en-suite bathroom. He got up off the bed and made his way over to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Once inside, Cloud felt a little more awake than he had been moments before. He looked down at Leon's bed pants with a small smile. He still had a hard time believing that Leon had rescued him from his own personal hell he called home and was now about to sleep over at the brunet's. Then it struck him - what were the sleeping arrangements going to be? Was he to share a bed with Leon? Would he be on the floor? His heart began to pound as this unknown piece of information caused anxiety to fill his mind.

He stripped off his clothes and pulled the night pants on over his boxers, deciding afterwards that he would keep his t-shirt on. He felt exposed without it and being half naked in front of Leon wasn't something he wanted to take chances with. Not just yet, anyhow.

He looked himself over in the mirror and observed his bruise. It was darkening and he hoped he wouldn't be asked too many questions tomorrow at school. He shook his head before opening the bathroom door to an already changed Leon, wearing his bed pants and a t-shirt, making Cloud incredibly relieved that he opted to keep his shirt on.

"You can have the bed." Leon said as he folded his discarded clothes and piled them in a laundry hamper.

"It's your house; you can have the bed." Cloud responded while shaking his head. "I'll be fine on the floor."

"You're not sleeping on the floor." Leon said, looking over his shoulder.

"Neither are you." Cloud retorted.

"Then we can share, if that doesn't make you uncomfortable." Leon said, turning to face the blond.

Cloud hesitated before looking at the bed. It was queen sized, so there was more than enough room to fit them both. "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

Leon shook his head, making his way over to the bed and pulling down the covers. "You're not a pervert, I would assume, so no; it doesn't make me uncomfortable." He climbed in and threw the covers on the other side down, inviting Cloud in.

Cloud smiled and walked over to the bed, climbing in carefully before his body instinctively relaxed into the soft blankets. "You don't know me well enough to know that I'm not a pervert." Cloud said playfully as his body sunk into the soft mattress.

"Well, I suppose I'm about to find out." Leon responded, leaning over his side of the bed to set his alarm clock before turning off the light.

Cloud chuckled and buried his nose in the soft blankets. The smell surrounding him was so pleasant, making his mind swim giddily. He had noticed Leon's attractive scent before but never was he surrounded by it so completely. He inhaled again as his mind drifted to the image of Leon as sleep called for him. He vaguely heard Leon say 'good night' and struggled to reciprocate, knowing that he was already too far gone to make any sense. The last thing he remembered was hearing Leon chuckle at his attempt to say good night, but that had to be part of his dream because Leon didn't chuckle in real life. In his dreams he did, but not for real, or so he thought.

-o-o-o-

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope you had a lot of fun reading! XD Let me know? I love hearing what people thought and I eat reviews. Please feed me.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Yay - new chapter! I must admit that this one was the most fun to write thus far and I can only anticipate that the story continues to be a treat to write from here. A few doors have opened here and more hints have been suggested; I can't say too much for this yet. *frowny face* Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoy the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Oh! And remember, reviews are so much appreciated; if you have a sec, please drop me a line or two to let me know what you thought? Reviews = happy Angel. Happy Angel = more writing. :o) On with the show:

-o-o-o-

Cloud woke up feeling more rested than he had in a long time. Although now awake, he had a hard time opening his eyes as a comfortable, restful feeling played across his body in a gentle dance of contentment. He sighed to himself and his mind immediately woke up the further as an unfamiliar yet pleasant smell registered. It took Cloud a few moments to remember that he wasn't in his own bed as his mind caught up with him reminding him that that smell was Leon's scent and he was currently buried in the brunet's blankets.

Cloud pulled the blankets up further to hide his face serving two purposes: one to take in more of that pleasant aroma, and two to hide his smile caused by said scent. He almost felt giddy as his sleepy state disappeared, replaced with a surge of energy making it harder to feign sleep any longer. Still, he kept his eyes closed to bask in this beautiful morning just a little longer.

With his eyes closed, Cloud listened carefully for a hint as to Leon's whereabouts. The room was silent and he wasn't positive as to whether the brunet was still asleep or had already left. Feeling rather bold in his giddiness, Cloud moved his arm over to his left a little further seeking out a warm body while trying to maintain the image of sleep. Over a few inches, Cloud still felt nothing, not even the warmth of a bed recently evacuated. This caused the blond to frown slightly, still hidden under the covers as his hand reached out a little further still finding an empty bed beside him.

The blond pulled his hand back and cuddled the covers around him as he turned over to his side, the light from the window making it a little more difficult to keep his eyes closed in mock sleep. A shadow moved between the light from the window and his closed eyes alerting Cloud of a presence in the room, presumably Leon's. This caused him to smile once again from under the blankets. It felt good knowing that he wasn't alone.

After a few more moments of silence Cloud's eyes fluttered open towards the window where he had seen the shadow to find Leon sitting on the window sill looking out into the morning. It was at that moment that his heart stopped beating.

Leon's eyes moved gracefully over the scenery outside as the morning sunshine played across his skin. His bronzed complexion softened under the gentle rays of light; his hair shining in that same light bringing out almost auburn highlights from his natural brunet colour. Although Cloud couldn't see too clearly from his vantage point, he could tell that Leon's eyes looked calm and gentle under the spotlight of the morning sun. He looked nothing short of a dream, his peaceful disposition replacing his usual jaded aura making it impossible for Cloud to look away.

The covers remained over half of Cloud's face, a fact that he was insanely grateful for when Leon turned his head to look at the no longer sleeping blond; he was completely oblivious to the gawking expression Cloud had hidden. Cloud couldn't bring himself to react to the sudden attention as those eyes took him in and had him lost in his own mind. Leon's eyes softened further, almost playing on a gentle smile as the brunet moved his body facing inwards away from the window.

"Good morning," Leon said quietly, still unaware of Cloud's trance-like state. Cloud noted how Leon's eyes didn't trail from his own.

"Hi," Cloud responded softly, deciding now was as good as a time as ever to return to normal.

"How did you sleep?" Leon asked, legs dangling from the window momentarily before coming to a complete stop.

Cloud smiled under the covers and stretched his legs, rolling onto his back. "I haven't slept that well for as long as I can remember." he answered honestly.

"You were exhausted," Leon said with a nod. "What would you like for breakfast?"

Cloud remained under the covers not ready to let go of his morning glow as he shrugged in response. Leon tilted his head and slid off the window sill, walking over to the blond and taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside him.

"We have an hour before we need to leave for school." the brunet informed, smoothing the blanket by his leg with his hand. "We can go to that diner you like or I can cook you something." Leon's voice lowered as he kept his focus on the blanket. "I'm told I cook a mean omelet."

Cloud couldn't help but smile at that last comment as he pulled the covers back from his face. "I love omelets," he said, smile broadening on its own accord. "If you don't mind cooking, that is." he corrected himself, all of a sudden feeling a little too forward for some reason.

Leon's eyes met baby blue in a contented manner before they softened even further. "I wouldn't have offered if I had minded." he replied. Leon's hand wandered over to the blankets covering Cloud and pulled them down with a lighthearted flick of the wrist. "Now get up so I can make the bed." he added, voice almost playful.

Cloud chuckled and rolled from his back to his side, lifting himself up into a sitting position before a sharp pain shot through his spine. He hissed in pain as he threw his legs over the side of the bed, catching Leon's concerned eyes immediately.

"What was that?" Leon asked, grabbing Cloud's arm instinctively with his hand making sure the blond didn't retreat without an explanation.

Cloud looked down at Leon's hand on his arm and sighed. He enjoyed the contact, Leon's touch sending shivers through his body, but he knew he wasn't getting away without explaining the sudden pain. To be truthful, he had forgotten about the large bruise on his back up until that point. The strain from lifting his body served as a harsh reminder.

"I'm just sore…" Cloud offered, hoping that would be enough. He wasn't surprised when it wasn't.

"Sore?" Leon asked, eyes inspecting Cloud's posture for a hint of what had caused the pain. It didn't take him long to notice where Cloud was favoring based on his poise as his eyes glided back to meet Cloud's. "Can I…" he started before noticing that Cloud's eyes dropped to the floor in defeat. He decided not to wait for permission before moving in behind Cloud on the bed and touched the space between Cloud's shoulder blades gently with his fingers. Cloud's posture stiffened and he figured he must have been close.

Leon looked up to the back of Cloud's head, which was bowed to the floor before his hands dropped to the seam of the blond's shirt. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly, lifting Cloud's shirt up an inch before pausing.

Cloud didn't move; if anything his body stiffened further causing a dull ache to form where the sharp pain was moments ago. In the back of his mind he couldn't help think that Leon was requesting to undress him, even if it was just his shirt, but the reasoning behind such a request weighed heavily on his thoughts. He didn't know what it would mean when Leon saw his bruise or found out how it got there, but he worried most of all about Leon pitying him. The last thing he wanted was for this guy to feel sorry for him.

"Cloud, please," Leon said after a few moments of silence. "I need to… please?" There was something in Leon's voice that brought tears to Cloud's eyes. The brunet sounded so sorrowful, his expressionless quality going right out the window and being replaced with this needy tone asking to see what had happened to Cloud.

"Okay…" Cloud answered quietly, dreading the reaction he was about to receive over something so commonplace in his life. He could take it from anybody, but not from Leon.

Leon's hands took a tighter grip on the seam of Cloud's shirt and slowly lifted the fabric upwards. Cloud could feel the cool air touch his skin almost as well as the scrutinizing eyes roaming over his naked back. Leon didn't stop pulling up his shirt when his bruise was revealed but kept hiking the article higher until Cloud got the hint to lift his arms so the brunet could remove it completely. Leon placed Cloud's shirt on his lap, eyes never leaving the dark, painful looking bruise marking the flesh just between the blond's shoulder blades.

Cloud's breath hitched as silence weighed heavily in the air surrounding them. His body tensed further in anticipation wondering what exactly Leon was thinking about. There was something different about the brunet when he noticed Cloud's injuries. He noticed it from the day he met him after the fight with Tony. Leon's eyes had roamed over his face curiously, almost absorbing as much information from his bruises as possible that first day. Even last night, Leon had touched him so tenderly, eyes almost memorizing each shade of blue and purple forming on his jaw. Now that he had found yet another bruise, Cloud wondered what he looked like at this moment as he surveyed his back. He fought the urge to look over his shoulder to find out.

Leon lifted his left hand slowly and let it hover over Cloud's exposed back. The bruise was obviously created by something being struck over the blond's spine hard enough to possibly drop him. His eyes narrowed as he shook his head, allowing his hand to move closer until it was barely touching the soft skin. Goosebumps broke out all over the blond's skin not going unnoticed by the brunet as his fingers traced along the lower half of the injury.

"Does this hurt you?" he asked, voice almost a whisper.

Cloud's jaw hung open slightly at the contact which sent shivers throughout his body. His breath came slow and deep as he felt soft fingers touch his heated skin. He shook his head in response to Leon's question, hoping he wasn't expected to be able to speak at this moment.

Leon's eyes moved from the back of the blond's head back to the bruise. He applied a little more pressure as his fingers roamed over the length of the bruise earning him another shiver and more goosebumps. He laid his palm against the center of the bruise then looked up at the blond. Had Cloud been watching, he would have seen a renewed anger brewing within the brunet but that went unnoticed as the blond fought to keep still and not let on that he was enjoying the contact more than he should.

Leon kept his palm against the bruise for a moment longer before his hand glided up the blond's skin and rested on his shoulder. Cloud's body responded more than inappropriately just as his head turned to the side to look back at the brunet, chin making contact with the back of Leon's hand.

"This isn't right," Leon said lowly, eyes meeting baby blue. "What did he use?"

Cloud opened his mouth to answer but was far too taken aback by the saddened expression on Leon's face for his voice to work. He closed his mouth again and turned his head back down to the floor.

"Cloud," Leon said, his hand giving the blond's shoulder a gentle squeeze before gliding back slightly to rest just above his shoulder blade. "Talk to me."

"I don't know," the blond responded. "A small branch or something; I wasn't watching."

Leon's hand caressed down Cloud's shoulder blade until it made contact with the bruise again. He let his hand drop to his own lap before his other hand rubbed at his eyes. "You can use the shower first. I'll make you something to eat."

Cloud's head turned back to look at the brunet just as Leon let his other hand fall to his lap. The blond wanted to say something along the lines of 'I'll be fine' or 'I can take care of myself', but he felt he'd said that enough to Leon for it not to have any impact anymore. Instead he chose to just stare at the beautiful boy sitting behind him.

Leon's eyes met Cloud's and the blond could see an inner turmoil looming behind carefully guarded eyes. Leon stared back at Cloud for a few moments before his eyes hardened into the jaded expression he was used to seeing.

"There are fresh towels in the cupboard to the left of the mirror." Leon offered before standing up on the bed and stepping down gracefully. "I'll be in the dining room." With that the brunet left the blond to himself wondering what the hell had just happened.

Leon cooked and ate as Cloud showered and Cloud ate as Leon showered. Both boys were ready to head off to school before there was an opportunity to say too much to one another; however, now that they had the opportunity, there wasn't much to say.

Cloud wanted to ask Leon what he was thinking about but thought best of it as he didn't want to come off as prying. Leon's expression hadn't changed since it transformed back to jaded after his inspection of Cloud's bruise. Cloud just knew, somehow, that there was something going on deep within the brunet, though. He could see it when Leon looked at him during breakfast after he finished his shower and he saw it now as the two walked to school, side by side, in an almost uncomfortable silence.

Cloud started saying something several times on their way to school but stopped himself once he realized that what he was about to say wouldn't make things more comfortable. That's when he began searching for something more neutral to use to break this silence.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow night." Cloud said, keeping his voice as cheerful as possible.

Leon looked over to the blond with indifferent eyes and gave a short nod.

Cloud feigned a smile before Leon's eyes swept in front of them, breaking the momentary eye contact. "It's been awhile since I've attempted to play pool." Cloud continued in hopes of dragging a somewhat decent conversation out of Leon. "You need to be outstanding if we have any hopes of winning, though. I should apologize for that in advance. I'm sorry."

Leon shoved his hands in his pockets and looked back over to Cloud. "I'm what you might call a shark."

"A shark?" Cloud asked, grateful that Leon was finally contributing. "You mean like a pool shark?"

Leon nodded before kicking at a stone on the ground. "I played a lot in Balamb; you know, to keep out of the house."

Cloud nodded before kicking at the stone that had settled from Leon's kick. "You'll have to teach me."

Leon's eyes remained on the blond though his expressionless disposition didn't change. "Tomorrow we can do a late lunch and go to the pool hall early if you want to get a few practice games in before the rest of them show up."

Cloud's eyes lit up and he hoped to all that was good that he didn't seem as excited as he felt. He knew his smile was probably a little bigger than it should be but he couldn't focus on correcting that at this time. He had to catch his breath so he could answer without seeming incredibly overeager. "Really?!" He inwardly scolded himself for failing right off the bat. "I mean, yeah, sure. If you don't mind."

"If I don't mind having lunch and playing pool?" Leon asked, eyebrows knitting together. "No, I don't think that will be too much of a problem."

"Teaching me, I mean." Cloud recovered, chuckling at Leon's expressionless teasing. Or, what he assumed to be mild teasing. "I'm pretty bad."

Leon nodded before looking ahead again. "We'll see."

Cloud let his eyes remain on Leon for a few seconds longer in pure joy before looking ahead again. Today was turning out to be one hell of a day.

Cloud couldn't help but feel incredibly lighthearted through his first two classes. Even though he had neither with Leon, he couldn't stop thinking about him and the night they had last night. Although nothing of great importance happened, just being with the brunet was enough to make him happy. His mind replayed the memory of the feeling of Leon's hand smoothly running over his lips causing him to lick them briefly, imaging what Leon's skin would taste like. He shook his head to chase those thoughts away as soon as he noticed that his body was beginning to react. That was not something he needed to deal with in the middle of English class.

As much as he tried to concentrate, it wasn't long before he found his thoughts back on Leon and the events of that morning. Thinking about it afterwards, the way Leon had touched him that morning, his hands gliding over his naked skin, he was surprised that he hadn't reacted stronger than he did before Leon left him to shower. He supposed that the reason was because Leon's reactions to his injuries weighed heavily on his mind.

That train of thought had Cloud wondering why Leon had reacted in that way to begin with. Normally people would notice Cloud's bruises and cuts then look the other way. He was fine with that; it wasn't like they could have done something about it anyhow. Leon, though, noticed the injuries then studied them as though he were cataloguing them. His eyes would sadden, which was almost unnerving seeing how the brunet didn't seem to react to anything else, and he would touch them in the gentlest ways. It would seem almost bold of Leon to do so seeing how they didn't really know one another all that well, but it wasn't something that concerned Cloud. He just wished he knew what was going on in Leon's head when he looked at him and his injuries the way he did.

The sound of the bell snapped Cloud out of his thoughts with a start before he began packing his bag as though he were mentally present in class the entire time. One more class to go then he would be released to lunch and would be able to see Leon again.

On his way to History, Cloud caught sight of Tony down the hallway with a couple of his friends. The blond stopped dead in his tracks and wondered whether he should find another route to his classroom, but then the image of Leon shaking his head frowning in his mind reminded him that it would disappoint the brunet if he were to cower away from Tony. Cloud took a deep breath before he began to walk again.

He was feet away from Tony before Tony noticed Cloud's presence, causing him to smile wickedly. "Oi, Cloud. Come here for a sec. I need to ask you something."

Cloud ignored the bully and continued to walk past him as though he didn't hear him.

"Cloud, will you wait a minute?" Tony called, matching Cloud pace and slung an arm around the blond.

Cloud roughly shoved Tony's arm off of his shoulder and pushed Tony back. "Don't touch me." he growled before turning to make his leave.

Tony grabbed Cloud's arm and pulled him back. "I'm not here to start a fight." he started, his friends chuckling in the background. "I just wanted to ask-"

Cloud tried to free his arm from Tony's grasp, failing before looking up at him. "Let go."

Tony pulled Cloud a little closer with a grin on his face. "Remember what I told you, ya?" he almost whispered. "Saturday night, my place."

Cloud shook his head before unknowingly he let a smirk slip. "We have plans Saturday night. I'm so sorry."

Tony's eyes narrowed as his grin grew wider. "That's not in your best interest."

"This," Cloud started, looking down at Tony's crushing grasp on his arm. "Is not in _your_ best interest." He yanked his arm out of Tony's hand and took a step back. "Leon and I _reluctantly_ decline your invitation to your party this weekend. Thanks for the invite, but we'd rather go have some fun elsewhere."

"Listen, you little shit," Tony practically snarled, taking a step towards the blond. Cloud didn't move from his stance. "I'll make sure this" he stated, giving Cloud a small slap across his bruised jaw. "Is nothing compared to what is coming if you don't get Leon to that party. Understand?"

"I'll be waiting." Cloud licked his cut lip instinctively before smiling. He glanced over to the other boys and mock saluted before turning around and leaving for his class.

He was still a little worked up as he prepped for his next class, pulling out his books before resting back into the seat. He pulled up the sleeve of his shirt to find his arm reddened by the way Tony held his arm tightly. It was probably going to leave a small bruise as well and he shook his head to dispel those thoughts.

Brad took a seat beside Cloud and nodded as he pulled out his own books. "'Mornin'  
he murmured before looking up at the blond's face. "You okay?" His eyes narrowed, looking at the bruised jaw and cut lip.

"I'm fine." Cloud responded, looking to the front of the class.

"Your mother?" Brad asked, almost cautiously, but he was never one for tact.

Cloud shook his head as the teacher walked in. "I stayed over at Leon's last night." he said, not able to hide the smiled creeping across his face.

"Oh did you, now?" Brad asked, leaning forward to move closer to Cloud. "Does he top or bottom?"

Cloud swung out his arm and backhanded Brad across the face with a grin. "Not like that, asshole." Cloud's eyes remained at the front of the class, silently apologizing to the teacher who had caught the brief display of violence. "He invited me over to get me away from my mother."

Brad sat back in his chair, rubbing the side of his face. "He's a good guy." he replied, opening his book. "Twenty bucks says you two will be a couple within a week."

"He's straight." Cloud responded. "I'm not looking to be his boyfriend-" he was interrupted by Brad.

"You wouldn't mind being his boyfriend, you mean. And that whole straight thing, it wouldn't be the first time you've turned someone."

Cloud frowned and looked down at his books. "Don't be stupid," he took a deep breath then looked up at the teacher. "I'm more than happy to just be his friend."

"Sure, sure," Brad laughed.

Cloud turned around and glared at Brad. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Brad shrugged as the teacher began the lesson. He pointed up front and gave Cloud a scolding look, mouthing the words 'pay attention' before a smile crossed his features.

Cloud rolled his eyes and turned around in his seat, sighing heavily. Brad saw right through him.

Half way through class Cloud pulled himself out of his thoughts of the brunet to check the time. History was dull, but it seemed to be his anxiousness to get to lunch and see Leon that had time going slower than normal. He tapped his pen against his textbook before noticing movement outside of the classroom door's window. He watched the door as a face peered inside. His face lit up when he recognized the face to be Leon's, eyes searching the classroom. When they met his eyes, Leon beckoned him through the glass and took a step back.

Cloud fought to suppress his delight as to not tip off the teacher of Leon's presence before he turned around to catch Brad's eye. Brad had already noticed Leon and smirked at the blond.

Cloud motioned to his books and tilted his head, earning a nod from Brad before he raised his hand.

"What is it, Cloud?" his teacher asked, stopping her lesson.

"I need a hall pass."

The teacher sighed and pulled one out of the desk, handing it to Cloud as he passed her on his way out of the classroom. He turned back to glance at Brad, who was shaking his head with a small smile.

Cloud closed the door behind him and turned to Leon, not able to hide a happy smile. "What's up?"

"I was bored." Leon responded with a shrug. "What to catch an early lunch?"

Cloud chuckled and looked back at the classroom door. "Yeah, sounds good. Brad's going to grab my stuff after class."

Leon nodded and took the hall pass out of Cloud's hand. "Good stuff." He looped the hall pass around the door handle and started down the hallway, Cloud following him a pace behind.

"Have you skipped many classes in the past?" Cloud asked, still not able to contain his smile.

"Only the boring ones. Have you?" the brunet responded, looking over his shoulder and slowing a bit to allow Cloud to catch up.

"This is my first time, actually."

Leon gave another short nod before looking back in front of them. "Glad I could be your first."

"W-what?" Cloud's smile dropped and was replaced with a disbelieving gawk.

Leon looked over at the blond and rolled his eyes. "I was kidding."

Cloud's smile reappeared and all of a sudden he felt incredibly stupid. This wasn't the first time he'd witnessed a joke come from the brunet, but it was the first time one of his jokes caught him completely off guard. Being said with such a serious tone and an underlying suggestion, it hit too close to home for Cloud. If only Leon knew what he did to him.

The rest of the walk to the cafeteria was trekked in silence, Cloud still running over in his head the many possible meanings behind Leon's little joke. He hated himself for not being able to just let it go, but the connotations were too fun to just let slide. It wasn't until Leon held the door to the caf open for him before he realized just how his body was reacting to it and he decided to drop it before there were any repercussions.

They took their seats at their regular table, the silence of the normally loud room weighing heavily around them. Both pulled out their lunches before Leon broke the silence.

"Aside from being incredibly bored, I had ulterior motives for pulling you out of class."

Cloud looked up from his lunch, eyes connecting with Leon's as he slowly chewed his first bite. He wasn't sure whether he wanted the brunet to go on so he chewed a little slower before dropping his food back onto its wrapper. This could mean something really good or something really uncomfortable and he prayed it would be the former. He swallowed his food finally and nodded his head with a small frown. His luck was never all that great.

"Go on…"

Leon looked down at the table and sighed, signaling to Cloud that he was right about his luck. "It's about last night."

Cloud's eyes dropped to the table as he began coming up with new ways of saying 'I'll be alright' without actually saying those words.

"About what I said to you," Leon continued. His eyes never left Cloud as captivated baby blues rose from the table once more. "It was harsh and I'm sorry. It's really been bothering me all morning."

Cloud's eyebrows knitted together as he tried to remember what Leon had said to him that would have been labeled as 'harsh'. The whole night was blurred by the bliss of just being with the brunet; he couldn't pick out for himself what Leon was talking about. Leon seemed to be able to pick up on Cloud's confusion.

"I accused you of not remembering that you could rely on me when you needed someone." Leon clarified, watching Cloud's eyes intently. Anyone would have been able to pick up on the hurt that washed over Cloud's eyes as he explained what he was talking about. The hurt that Cloud felt the night before when Leon had said those words returned as Cloud's chest tightened and he felt tears form behind his eyes. He fought to keep composed.

Leon tilted his head and rested his chin in his palm. "It was unfair of me to say something like that to you when I don't know exactly what you're going through right now."

Cloud's eyes dropped to the table once more before he felt composed enough to speak again. "I… I don't think it's necessary for you to apologize for saying that." he began, feeling guilty for making Leon feel the need to apologize. "I mean, I'm not giving you much to go on to begin with and-"

"That doesn't matter." Leon interrupted. "I told you that you could rely on me if you ever needed anything and accuse you of not doing so when _I_ thought you should have." He sighed before crossing his arms on the table. "You decide when you need me and I'll be there for you. It's not _my_ decision to make for you."

Cloud wasn't sure what to say to this. His eyes remained on the table as he thought through an appropriate response. There was so much he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to do it. Leon broke the silence.

"A part of the problem is you realizing when you need someone, which you can't seem to do." He leaned forward. "I wasn't trying to be mean or play psychiatrist when I told you that you need to stop lying to yourself about being 'fine' the other night. It would just help me stop worrying so much about you if I knew that you could recognize when you need help."

Cloud remained silent as he took in everything Leon was saying. It was unbelievable that Leon was speaking so openly about everything and it warmed Cloud's heart to hear that Leon worried about him; that he actually cared about him. He sat there listening as Leon continued.

"What's happening to you both at school and at home is not 'alright' and not being _fine_ doesn't make you weak. It just means you're human and have feelings. I don't want you to end up like-" he cut himself off short as the words lingered in the air. What he was going to say hung uncomfortably over the two boys as both tried to adjust to the new level of discomfort as though an alien had just sat next to them at the table.

Cloud looked up at Leon with saddened eyes. He could only guess at what Leon was about to say and that brought with it a whole slew of new questions. Leon's eyes dropped to the table as his posture suggested that his brick wall against the world was just elevated.

"Leon," Cloud started, feeling the need to ease some of the tension between the two; if not for himself, then for Leon. Although he didn't really want to get into everything in too much detail at this time, he figured touching on some of it might help them both out. "Can I be blunt and honest about something?"

"Please," Leon responded, eyes shifting upwards to connect with Cloud's.

Cloud took in a deep breath and held it for a second before releasing it slowly. He didn't feel prepared for what he was about to admit but he needed some sort of understanding between them.

"I wake up every morning and sneak out of the house hoping not to disturb my mother so there's no confrontation." Cloud began. He was trying to sort out the words in his head as he spoke. "I come to school and have to deal with this bullshit with Tony and his friends; whether it be the looks, comments, or fights, school isn't a very comfortable place for me to be. I escape from school to go back home only to have to deal with a drunk, drugged up mother which leads to more arguments or worse, so there's no resting there. There's no safety or anything. I go to bed only to wake up to the exact same cycle day after day."

Leon opened his mouth to say something but was silenced as Cloud lifted his hand to request he wait until he was finished.

"I had no one and I mean it when I say that I'm fine or that I'll be alright because I've learned to deal with all of this. I'm not fine because I actually am; I'm fine because I've learned to be." Cloud could see Leon fight the urge to say anything as the brunet listened intently, eyes focused on his own. "I never knew what it was like to have somebody in my corner before, that is, until you showed up."

Leon's eyes softened from their hard, jaded expression and Cloud could almost see the brunet's brick wall lower.

"You've given me a somewhere to go. You've given me friendship and someone to talk to. I know I can rely on you when I need someone, but I don't feel comfortable putting all of this on you especially when we've known one another for such a short time."

"Cloud," Leon began, pausing to make sure Cloud would allow him to continue. "The amount of time we've known one another doesn't mean anything when it comes to all of this. We're friends, right?"

"Of course," Cloud answered, a hint of urgency to answer immediately not hiding itself in his tone as his eyes locked onto Leon's.

"Helping one another, it's what friends do, right?" Leon responded in a form of a question again, forcing the blond to admit to what he was trying to get across.

"Yeah…" Cloud's eyes couldn't look away from gray-blue.

"Then should the amount of time we've been friends really be a factor in all this?" Leon asked, eyes holding Cloud's stare.

"No…" Cloud answered, voice lowering to almost a whisper.

Leon nodded as his eyes stoned up again causing the blond to regain control. Leon picked up his food again and resumed eating as though they hadn't just shared a brief, intense conversation.

Cloud looked down at his food and thought about what Leon had just said. The brunet had seemed so sincere with his words and that made Cloud feel warm inside, his heart beating at a pace slightly quicker than normal. He smiled inwardly and picked up his lunch just as the bell rang to release the students from their last class before lunch.

It was only moments before the cafeteria began to fill up with students, the once quiet room coming to life with the constant buzz of other conversations. Cloud and Leon both felt quite comfortable eating their lunch in silence as they watched the discomfort that had been with them wash away, being replaced with a sense of normalcy as their skipping class was soon forgotten. The conversation they had stuck with them, though.

Brad, Xander, and Brantley soon joined them at their table and laughed at Cloud for actually having the guts to skip class. Brad grinned at the blond as he dropped his bag on the ground beside him and pulled out his own lunch, Cloud offering a quick 'thanks' only to be waved off by his friend.

"What did you guys do?" Brantley asked, looking from Leon to Cloud.

"Ate lunch," Cloud answered, fighting to stop his smile from getting too big.

"You skipped class and didn't do anything fun?" Brantley continued, rolling his eyes. "What's the point in that?"

"To get out of class," Cloud responded with a shrug. "It was better than History."

Xander and Brantley continued to poke fun at Cloud, Cloud playing along until he noticed Leon tense up. The blond looked over at the brunet and narrowed his eyes trying to take in what Leon was responding to. It didn't take a genius to come up with a feasible hypothesis.

"Leon," Cloud started, watching the brunet's eyes flicker towards him before moving back to something over his shoulder, catching the attention of the other three boys at the table. "Let it go…"

Leon let out a deep breath as his eyes darkened into a stormy gray, something raging behind his colour causing the blond to shiver.

"What's going on?" Xander asked, watching Leon's jaw tighten and the blond become more tense.

"Just let it go, Leon." Cloud repeated, moving his head so Leon was looking at him instead of the likely target over his shoulder. " For now, please. For me."

Leon's eyes softened slightly as he looked at Cloud, the blond able to calm him considerably. It was short lived, however, as Tony walked up beside Cloud and smiled at Leon.

"Hey, Leon, I know you have plans this weekend, but I was hoping you could pop over for an hour or two anyhow."

"Why?" Leon asked, his eyes returning to the stormy-gray and voice barely able to contain a hatred that Cloud knew was there.

"Just to meet some new people," Tony answered, not picking up on the storm brewing within the brunet. "Drinks are all on us; all you need to do is show up."

Leon slowly stood up from his seat and turned his back on everyone, rubbing at his eyes. Cloud watched him intently; afraid to say anything or move just in case something set the brunet off.

"Leon, are you alright?" Tony asked, a hint of actual concern in his voice.

Leon dropped his hand from his eyes and sighed deeply. Cloud guessed it was to calm himself.

"Cloud and I have plans this weekend." Leon finally responded, his voice sounding in control.

"You can bring Cloud along," Tony said, placing a hand on Cloud shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze. Two things happened simultaneously from this gesture. One: Cloud flinched at the contact and moved back slightly to put more distance between him and Tony; and two: Leon's eyes flashed back over his shoulder and stared at Tony with a look that probably could have killed.

"Get your hand off of him," Leon said, voice so low that it almost sounded like a growl.

Tony looked at Leon with confused eyes and tilted his head. "I'm not going to hurt-"

"Get your hand _off_ _of him_…" Leon repeated, this time with a low growl under his breath as he turned his body around to face Tony. His eyes could not be described at this moment. The rage that filled them was enough to make any man cower, and Tony was too stunned by this look to respond in anyway. That was a big mistake.

Before anyone had time to react, Leon had launched himself from his stance at Tony and knocked him to the floor. The brunet straddled Tony's hips and punched him in the face several times before Tony's friends could move again, jumping into the fight and pulling Leon off of Tony. Leon took a few swings at them, connecting with jaws, noses, and orbital bones before anyone managed to land a hit on the brunet.

Leon let out another growl as he recovered from a hit to the cheek before one of Tony's friends was lifted off of him, Cloud's voice yelling at him before the blond threw a few swings at him, dropping him to the ground.

Leon kicked at the few of the guys surrounding him before someone attempted to swing at him again, Cloud catching his fist before it connected with Leon and twisting his arm behind his back causing him to howl out in pain. Tony grabbed Cloud's shoulder and attempted to turn him around before Leon attacked him again. This time, before Leon could land a hit he was yanked back by a force much stronger than his own and looked up to see principal Sephiroth breaking up the fight, pushing a few of Tony's friends back before looking at Cloud.

"Release him," Sephiroth said to Cloud, voice on the edge of anger as Cloud tossed Tony's friend from his grasp and began cracking his knuckles.

"You guys," Sephiroth said, looking at Tony and his friends. "Are suspended until further notice." The principal looked over at Leon and Cloud and shook his head. "And you two, my office – now!"

Leon looked over at Cloud, eyes back to their jaded expression before looking back to Tony. Sephiroth watched Leon for a moment before looking at Cloud and shaking his head. "You have some explaining to do this time, Strife." he said, putting his hand on the blond's shoulder to guide him out.

"Get your hand off of him!" Leon growled, startling everyone with the tone he used with the principal. Cloud's eyes widened as he watched the storm brewing in Leon's eyes once again.

"I beg your pardon," Sephiroth asked, dropping his hand from Cloud as it was obvious the brunet was ready to start something up again if he hadn't.

Leon's eyes leveled with Sephiroth's as he reached over and took Cloud by the wrist, leading him out of the caf towards the principal's office.

-o-o-o-

Heh, Leon was so much fun to write here. Sadly, I had my own little adrenaline rush writing the fight and am now so excited to begin the next chapter. Let me know what you thought? It would mean so much. :D


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: My head is still reeling over the response I received for the last chapter. You guys enjoy violence, ya? Heh, I think it had something more to do with Leon kicking Tony's **, but that's my personal opinion. Thank you all for reading my fic and hugs to those who take the time to review. It really means a lot to me to know that someone else out there is enjoying this hobby of mine. :o)

I never usually blabber on here, but I have so much to say. I wanted to let everyone know that I will be away for a few days starting Friday (although this will be my last opportunity to be online) and will be returning on Tuesday. I'm not ignoring reviews or messages; I'm just out of province. I promise that I'll reply to everything throughout the week I return. I hope to come back to a bunch of reviews – please feel free to leave them! XD

Okay, enough rambling and on with the story. That's what you're here for, ya? Enjoy!

-o-o-o-

And here he was again, in the dingy principal's office of his annoyingly cliché high school. This would be the eighth time the frustrated blond slumped through those doors and threw himself into that chair this month waiting to see the principal. He flinched slightly as the bruise on his back sent a jolt of pain through his body, but he smirked at the thought that this time he was here with Leon.

Cloud chanced a glance over at Leon who was sitting by his side to find the brunet sporting an unusually satisfied expression as he cracked his knuckled. Leon looked up and met Cloud's eyes before one corner of his mouth twitched.

"You seem at home," the brunet said passively as he leaned back into the chair.

Cloud smirked and shook his head as he glanced down at the floor. "Well, I _am_ here a lot."

Leon sighed and bowed his head just as principal Sephiroth entered the office and frowned. He looked over the two boys before walking straight past them, into his office, and closed the door behind him. The office secretary looked over at the boys and smiled.

"You brought a friend, Cloud." she said lightheartedly, causing the blond to look up and nod.

"What kind of a mood is he in today?" Cloud asked as if they were good friends.

The secretary smiled and glanced over to the office. "Not a very good one, I'm afraid."

Cloud nodded and looked back down to the floor. Idol chitchat wasn't something he was in the mood for right now. Something else was weighing heavily on his mind.

Never could he had imagined the response Leon had to Tony at the cafeteria. Sure, the brunet had made mention of giving Tony what he deserved if he had attacked Cloud again, but such a strong reaction from Tony putting his hand on Cloud's shoulder was completely unexpected. He couldn't lie to himself; it felt good to know that Leon took a personal interest in him and that he was willing to cause a scene like he had to defend Cloud, but the fact that he was sitting beside him now waiting to see the grumpy principal made him feel a little bad.

As he thought about what had just happened, Cloud recalled the look in Leon's eyes the moment before he attacked Tony. Cloud was no stranger to anger, but he had never experienced rage so intense before. Just thinking about that look in Leon's eyes sent shivers down his spine and he was grateful that he wasn't on the receiving end of those hard, cold, calculating eyes. It was almost like flicking on a light switch; one moment Leon was shooting a death glare, perfectly still, and the next he was launching himself at Tony as though his intent was to kill. The way the brunet snapped didn't make Cloud feel uncomfortable, though. Surprisingly, Cloud felt more safe and secure being at Leon's side. Leon's sudden outburst of violence was in Cloud's honour; he had nothing to fear.

The blond still felt a little bad for being the reason why Leon had done what he did, though. He was so used to being seen then forgotten; no one had ever stood up for him like Leon did and now that they both may be in trouble because of the incident caused Cloud's stomach to twist uncomfortably. He only smiled at this as fighting by Leon's side and protecting him as the brunet had done for him made him feel good.

If one good thing came out of all this mess it was that Tony and his friends were suspended indefinitely, a fact that had Cloud almost smiling but hoping that he and Leon didn't meet the same fate. He knew that Sephiroth had been more than forgiving when it came to him and his issues but he didn't know how far that leniency extended. Even if he were to get off light for the incident, he would never feel right about the punishment Leon would receive, especially after the way he had spoken to the principal. His thoughts were interrupted by Sephiroth as he opened his office door and eyed the two boys.

"Cloud, you first." the principal said monotonously as he shifted his line of sight back into his office.

Cloud looked over at Leon as nonchalant eyes looked back at him. There was something almost comforting with the detached look Leon had on that Cloud couldn't describe. There was almost a silent confirmation between the two boys that Cloud felt as he stood up and made his way over to where Sephiroth was waiting. Although not looking at the brunet anymore, he still felt that powerful stare on him and fought the urge to look over his shoulder.

Once inside the office, Sephiroth closed the door and took a seat at his desk, Cloud taking his usual seat across the desk from the principal and leaning back into the chair.

"What happened this time, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked as he opened Cloud's file and prepared to take notes.

Cloud was at a loss of what to say. Normally he would utter 'the usual', but that didn't apply this time. To tell Sephiroth what happened would require some back story and that wasn't something Cloud was prepared to do right now. He didn't feel like he had the mental energy to describe everything he'd been through the last few days.

"Cloud?" Sephiroth asked after a few moments of silence. "Tell me what happened."

"I don't know," Cloud finally answered. In all honesty, he couldn't be sure what did happen since he didn't know exactly what was going through Leon's head, but he had a pretty good idea. Still, it was nothing he wanted to get into right now. "I was just helping Leon when he was outnumbered."

"Who started the fight?" Sephiroth asked, writing notes on the paper.

Once again, Cloud felt a reluctance to answer. Leon had started this fight, but that was in response to something that had happened previously, and that had started because of him. Cloud shook his head as his mind offered a roundabout way of making this all his own fault, hand lifting to rub at his eyes. He didn't really want to go into his history with Tony to explain why Leon did what he had done, but there was no way he was going to say the words 'Leon started this fight' because that felt like a stab in the back. He wasn't going to throw Leon under the bus like that.

"Cloud?" the principal said again, watching to obvious distress the blond was under. "I need to know how this all started."

Cloud dropped his hand and looked straight into the principal's eyes. "I don't want to get into that right now." he answered honestly, knowing that that wasn't going to stop Sephiroth from pursuing the issue.

"That's too bad," Sephiroth almost snapped. "I think I've been more than fair when it comes to your many misbehaviours-"

"My many misbehaviours?" Cloud interrupted with a snort. "Since when did defending yourself and a friend become a 'misbehaviour'?"

"Since you refuse to seek help for the abuse you're going through!" Sephiroth yelled, eyes becoming angry as they bore into Cloud. Although his voice lowered, it didn't lose the annoyed edge to it. "There are things you can do to better your situation but won't even try and I can't, for the life of me, understand why."

"Because every single option I have comes with repercussions that I don't want to deal with." Cloud snapped back, voice matching the tone the principal was using with him.

Sephiroth let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back into his chair. He ran a hand through his hair and dropped his pen on the page he was writing on. "Something's got to give, Cloud because I can't keep turning a blind eye and letting you off the hook, especially now that I've suspended Tony and his friends."

"I've never asked you to let me off the hook." Cloud responded, an anger taking over his emotions.

"And I wouldn't feel right suspending you because of the situation." the principal continued as though he hadn't heard Cloud.

The anger that had been growing in Cloud's chest almost exploded at the last thing Sephiroth said. Cloud clenched his fists and shook his head. "Is it because I'm gay?"

"Is what because you're gay?" Sephiroth said, confused eyes meeting with Cloud's only to be met with an annoyed, disbelieving look.

"You don't want to suspend me because you feel sorry for me; that I'm going through all of this because of my sexuality. I don't need your damn pity."

"I don't pity you, Cloud." Sephiroth answered in a more hushed tone almost as though he was switching from offensive to defensive mode based on Cloud's response. "Your sexuality isn't playing a role in any of this."

"Then why do you keep turning a blind eye to my _misbehaviour_?" Cloud asked, feeling like he was gaining the control of the conversation.

"Because it's not fair to suspend you for taking care of yourself." Sephiroth answered, seeing the circle Cloud was taking him in. Then it struck him and he knew Cloud saw it too by the smirk the blond was currently sporting.

Cloud shook his head. "I suppose I don't need to point out the contradiction you've made over the last two minutes?" his smug smile twitching before disappearing completely. "Tell me why if it's not because of pity."

"Why what?" Sephiroth asked, needing a confirmation of whether or not Cloud was on the same wavelength as himself before he said too much more.

"You said you can't keep turning a blind eye to my misconduct only to say that it wouldn't be fair to punish me for them. Which is it?" Cloud said causing his principal to frown. Cloud wasn't your stereotypical dumb blond.

Sephiroth was silent for a moment as Cloud watched him with determined eyes. He picked up his pen again then flipped through Cloud's file, stopping on a page near the middle. "If you really want to get into this now, I suppose we can."

Cloud's brow furrowed as he watched a disappointed look appear across Sephiroth's features. He looked down at the file but couldn't read it from his vantage point.

"Your teachers have been noticing a change in you, Cloud." the principal began. "Enough of a change that they've felt a need to speak to me about it."

Cloud remained quiet as he recalled one of his teachers approaching him about it the day before. He began to feel like he cracked open a shell and was not prepared to deal with its contents right now.

"I can't help but feel like there's more to this story than you've told me." Sephiroth said, glancing up at the blond before looking back down to his notes. "I know Tony has been giving you a hard time and I know that you are able to deal with this while at school; I suppose my concern is with what's been happening to you outside of school… at home."

Cloud frowned and looked down at the floor. He was definitely not prepared to deal with his personal life with the principal.

"Although your grades remain excellent," Sephiroth continued, noting Cloud's sudden silence. "Your teachers have noticed a change in you; in your focus and state of mind while in class to a point that warrants concern. They say you're more tired and withdrawn. What do you think about this?"

Cloud's eyes remained on the floor as he tried to sort out what he was going to say next. He never realized that his whole disposition changed enough over the past few months that would draw such attention from his teachers. It wasn't something he thought about or really cared about, but he didn't think they would be talking about him to the principal about it.

He wasn't sure what Sephiroth was fishing for, but he suspected that the principal knew that there was something going on at home. "I think nothing about this." Cloud finally managed to say, eyes remaining down.

"You must think something, Cloud." Sephiroth said in a gentle tone. "Did your mother give you that bruised jaw and split lip?"

Cloud's eyes darted up to meet the principal's and he shook his head immediately. "No," he spat out. "No, she didn't do this to me."

"Who did?" Sephiroth asked, taking mental notes to add to Cloud's file later.

"Tony attacked me after school yesterday." Cloud confessed, feeling weak as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Does he attack you often outside of school hours?"

Cloud leaned back in his chair and adjusted his posture. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter, Cloud-" the principal started before being interrupted by the blond.

"Then it's none of your business! It didn't happen on school property and it was after school hours."

Sephiroth tightened his jaw and leaned forward on his desk. What Cloud had said was right but he couldn't help but feel the need to know what was going on with the blond. He was sure there was more to the story than Cloud was letting on and he was almost positive that Cloud was hiding something about his home life, but he would need more details before he could bring it up with anyone. He decided to take another less prying approach.

"I just care about what happens to you." he said, letting the sentence linger in the air until Cloud chose to respond. The way Cloud's eyes drooped then hardened told him that Cloud had heard what he'd said but threw up his brick wall again before it could have too much of an impact. The blond had one hell of a defense mechanism, another thing the principal took mental note of. It took a few moments of silence before Cloud decided to finally talk.

"Leon started the fight this afternoon in the cafeteria because Tony put his hand on my shoulder." Cloud started monotonously. "Leon attacked Tony for this because last night Tony and his friends attacked me," he said, motioning to his bruised jaw. "And Leon doesn't want him touching me ever again. He gave him a fair warning to get his hand off of me but Tony ignored it. That's why he lost his temper and that's why he snapped at you when you touched me. He was protecting me the best way he knew how."

Sephiroth leaned back in his chair, eyes never leaving the blond's as he absorbed the new information. A sense of pride exploded in his chest at what Leon had done for Cloud, but he couldn't show it as he was suppose to be an impartial third party in charge of the students' well-being. The two encounters he'd had with Leon left much to be desired as both ended up with the brunet snapping at him, but he was willing to look over those instances considering the new information he had just learned.

Cloud watched Sephiroth's face and attempted to determine how the principal was receiving this information but couldn't get a read on him. "If you're going to suspend Leon then all I ask is that you suspend me too. This is all my fault and Leon was only doing what he thought was right considering the circumstances." Cloud almost pleaded.

"As far as I'm concerned," Sephiroth started slowly, pausing for a brief second as he noted Cloud's vulnerable state. "The parties that are at fault have already been punished."

Cloud almost smiled as he played with the hem of his shirt. "Turning a blind eye again?"

Sephiroth frowned as he looked down at Cloud's file. "No, but you need a friend like Leon around if you're not going to seek official help."

"The fights aren't going to stop, knowing Tony." Cloud responded, eyes trained on the principal.

"But I'll be able to rest assured that you will have a fighting chance." Sephiroth replied, eyes not leaving the file on his desk.

"I've always has a fighting chance," Cloud said, a little taken aback by the connotation that he couldn't take care of himself.

"Okay, Cloud," the principal said, shaking his head. "Take the rest of the day off, the both of you. Enjoy your weekend."

Cloud narrowed his eyes before looking back to the ground. Getting away from the buzz surely now running the rumour mill was a tempting prospect and he thought best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Thanks," he said softly as he stood up from the chair.

Sephiroth watched the blond leave his office and close the door behind him. He felt like what he was doing was wrong but he couldn't bring himself to punish Cloud. Punishing Leon would be just as bad for the blond, if not worse, so he thought only to make a notation in their files and let them go. He had a lot of work to do with respects to Tony and his friends, so he thought he'd dismiss Cloud and Leon and hope that was enough to make the blond's life a little easier. He deserved it, this he knew even though he didn't know the details of the blond's home life.

Cloud grinned at Leon as he made his way over to the brunet still sitting in the chair. Leon stood up and looked over at the principal's office door before looking back at Cloud. "What happened?" he asked as Cloud stopped in front of him.

"We have the rest of the day off." the blond answered.

"Are we suspended?"

"We're not suspended; we're excused."

Leon narrowed his eyes at Cloud and tilted his head. "He doesn't want to talk to me?"

"It's all okay, Leon." Cloud replied, smiling. "He knows about Tony and I explained what had happened." He started out of the office with Leon a pace behind him. "I told him that you were protecting me and he was alright with that."

"I started a fight," Leon said almost disbelieving; almost. "How is he alright with that?"

Cloud looked over his shoulder and grinned. "Because he knows Tony, that's why."

Leon thought this over for a moment then shrugged.

Cloud stopped in the middle of the hallway and looking around. Everyone else was in class and the hallways were almost eerily quiet. "I suppose we can get our bags from the guys and head out." It only just seemed to have dawned on Leon that they left for the principal's office without their belongings.

Cloud led Leon to a classroom and peered in through the door window. He beckoned through the door and stood back. A moment later Brantley opened the door and closed it behind him, Leon and Cloud's bag over his shoulder. He handed the bags back with a smile before he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What's the verdict?" he asked with a huge smile.

"Scott-free," the blond answered, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "And the rest of the day off, so enjoy school, ya?"

Brantley shook his head with a grin. "Lucky bastards… Escape while you can. I'll see you on Monday."

Cloud nodded before turning back to Leon. "Shall we?"

Leon offered a quick 'thanks' to Brantley before he and Cloud left for the day.

They started off wandering aimlessly through the streets as Cloud filled Leon in with what happened during his meeting with principal Sephiroth. He left out a few details, namely, those which concerned Sephiroth's suspicions about Cloud's home life and his teachers' concerns for him. Leon would glance over at Cloud every once and awhile with a nod before he would turn his attention back to the pavement ahead. After Cloud finished his story he smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Sephiroth is a generous man," Leon commented, keeping his eyes ahead.

Cloud shrugged before kicking at a pebble. "I think he just feels bad for me."

"Feels bad because Tony keeps attacking you?" Leon asked. He knew there was more to the story.

"Yeah, I guess," Cloud responded before frowning. "He's always been more than fair with me."

Leon nodded before furrowing his brow. "Can we play that question game again?" he asked, looking over at Cloud with nonchalant eyes.

Cloud looked back at Leon and smirked. "You just have a question that you know I won't want to answer." Cloud's smirk turned into a smile. "You just think I might answer it if you offer up a chance for one of my questions to be answered."

Leon looked up at the sky before his eyes met baby blue. "It was more of an introduction to my question than an underhanded way of getting more information out of you. I'm not trying to hide that fact."

Cloud kicked at the pebble once more before nodding. "Sure, go ahead."

"What are you not telling me about your discussion with principal Sephiroth?" Leon asked, catching the blond's eyes once more.

Cloud could see the mild concern in Leon's blue-gray eyes and he felt that it was only fair that he answer the question seeing how Leon has been so good to him.

"Sephiroth said that some of my teachers are noticing a change in me. He suspects that things are going down at home."

"What did you tell him?" Leon asked.

"I didn't tell him much." Cloud responded. "I dodged the question by finally telling him what happened in the cafeteria."

Leon nodded then kicked at the pebble Cloud had been kicking. "Things get complicated when you introduce the prospect of domestic disturbance to a principal." From where Cloud was standing, it looked as though Leon was deep in thought. The brunet continued. "I don't recommend bringing the school into that part of your life unless you're looking for a change, Cloud, because once they catch wind of what's going on at home, by law, they have to act."

Cloud looked over at Leon with confused eyes but kept pace with the brunet. "What do you mean?"

Leon glanced up at Cloud and sighed. "I'm just saying tread lightly if your teachers are concerned for you. If principal Sephiroth suspects that you're going through what you're going through at home, he'll be forced to take action to remove you from that situation."

"Leon," Cloud said, stopping in his tracks effectively bringing the brunet to a stop. "How do you know this?"

Leon looked up at Cloud and sighed. "It's the law, Cloud. Just be careful, okay?"

Cloud shook his head. He was beginning to feel bad for what he was about to ask, but he felt like he needed to know. "Is that what happened to you?"

Leon's eyes didn't change expression; rather, they remained expressionless as both boys stood still looking at one another. Cloud's eyes saddened as he looked for any indication of what Leon was feeling at that moment but wasn't able to read anything from the passive expression. Silence hung in the air around the two boys and Cloud shook his head slowly.

Leon's eyes darted away from Cloud's for a brief second before landing back on his delicate-looking blue eyes. "Is that your question for me?" he asked, attempting to soften the mood a little.

"Yes, Leon," Cloud answered, his expression worrying a little more as Leon seemed to be attempting to dodge the question.

Leon took a deep breath and began walking again, Cloud following behind him. The blond kept his eyes on Leon and he tilted his head as Leon slowed his pace, allowing him to catch up so they walked side by side.

"Leon," Cloud said, a hint of concern in his voice. "Did you move here because your old school interfered with what was happening between you and your father?"

Leon bit his lower lip, a gesture that seemed out of place while surrounded by a jaded disposition. "Did you never wonder how I could afford to live with a roommate in a house when I'm in high school and without a job?"

Cloud's body tingled at the way Leon answered his question; his limbs and jaw almost numb as he began to uncover a part of Leon's past. The brunet was a little bit of a mystery to him and treading on this new ground with him made the blond feel a little overwhelmed. It never occurred to him that Leon would be on some form of financial aid to be able to afford to support himself while in school. He was always so overtaken by just _being_ with the brunet to wonder too much about facts like that.

"What happened?" the blond asked, preparing himself for what the brunet might share.

Leon glanced over at Cloud then back to the pavement. "It was very similar to what you've told me about you and your mother, minus the drugs and alcohol." he began, looking as though he wasn't bothered by the weight of the conversation. "Only it was a little more violent. I showed up to school one day to find child care services waiting for me. They pulled me out of school and offered a fresh start in a new city, finishing high school living off of student welfare. I took it."

"I'm so sorry," Cloud said weakly, finding this information about Leon a little more than bothersome. He couldn't imagine someone capable to hurting him like that, ignoring the many similarities between his own current situation and the brunet's past.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Cloud." Leon said, looking back at the blond. "You, of all people, know how it feels to be pitied, right?"

"I don't pity you," Cloud said quickly, hoping that it would erase what he had just said. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," Leon said, sighing. "It was the best thing that has happened to me. It worked out for me. It doesn't work out for everyone, though. I just got lucky."

Cloud nodded before Leon looked on ahead again. "I couldn't do it…" the blond said lowly.

Leon nodded before reaching over and taking Cloud's forearm in his hand, looking at the blond with detached eyes. "That's why I'm saying to just be careful. If your teachers are already talking to the principal about you, then they already suspect that something's going on." His gentle grip on Cloud's arm lingered before he dropped his hand to his own side. "If you let on that something _is_ going on, then Sephiroth will have to step in." Leon's eyes remained on the blond, unaware that the blond's mind was still reeling from the contact that had been seconds ago. "Do you see why it's so important to me that you call me when you need someone? Why I was upset when you didn't call me last night?"

Cloud's eyes dropped to the ground as he frowned. "That's what you meant during lunch, when you said that you didn't want me to end up like…" Cloud took a breath in and finished his sentence quietly. "Like you?" Leon hadn't finished his sentence over lunch; Cloud just assumed that that's what the brunet had meant to say.

Leon kept a steady pace as his eyes roamed over the scenery before them. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before shaking his head. "That's _sort of_ what I meant, Cloud, but we won't get into that today."

"Sort of?" Cloud asked, eyes focused on Leon. "What did it mean? I wanted to ask you but-"

"Another time," Leon cut him off before his pace slowed. "Are you going to be okay or do you want to stay with me again tonight?"

Leon's question caught Cloud off guard before he realized that they were standing outside of Cloud's house. He couldn't help but feel immensely disappointed as he wasn't paying attention to where they were headed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the time, frowning as it was only three fifteen in the afternoon and he still had a lot of time to kill before he could call it an early night. Leon's open invitation seemed so tempting, but he couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't take the offer as he didn't want to come off as needy. Of course, offering anything against spending the night at Leon's, he would want to be with the brunet hands down but he knew that he couldn't hide out at Leon's place forever.

"I'll be alright," Cloud said meekly, offering what he hoped to be a smile. It sure didn't feel like one.

Leon sighed and shifted his weight to one foot. "Where have I heard that before?" He tilted his head in a way that Cloud guessed would have been in amusement. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "If you think there's going to be a problem at home, Cloud, come home with me."

Leon's words tugged at Cloud's throbbing heart as he fought the urge to say 'okay' and jump into Leon's arms. That would have been a show and he was certain Leon would have gotten a kick out of it, but he still felt as though he needed to go home so he wouldn't be so much of a damsel in distress. Their friendship was too new to be putting all of this stress on it and although he knew Leon wouldn't see it that way, he wasn't used to relying on other people to help him through his problems. It made him feel weak and he couldn't start allowing himself to think that way; not when there was still so much going on. It would be all downhill from there.

"I'll call you if I need to escape; how does that sound?" Cloud said lightheartedly, attempting another smile.

Leon looked upon the blond without saying a word for a moment before he nodded. "Okay," Cloud thought he heard a hint of disappointment in Leon's voice but wrote it off as worry instead. Leon wasn't the easiest person to read in the entire world. "Promise me you will."

"I promise," Cloud confirmed, taking in a deep breath. He couldn't understand why it was so hard for him to let Leon go. He should be saying goodbye and walking up to the house now, but he really didn't want to leave Leon. Leon wasn't making any attempt to leave either, so he figured it was okay.

"If I don't hear from you tonight, I'll call you tomorrow morning so we can iron out our plans?" Leon half asked, half told.

Cloud smiled for real this time as he was reminded of the day he was going to get to spend with Leon tomorrow. Leon must have picked up on Cloud's true happiness as his eyes seemed to have softened slightly at the sight of Cloud's smile.

Cloud began to feel the familiar panic as their conversation seemed to be coming to a close. He really didn't want Leon to leave right now but he really didn't have much to say to make him stay either. There was a moment of silence between the two as Leon's eyes roamed over Cloud's face and the blond kept his eyes on the ground.

"Leon," Cloud began, almost backhanding himself for not thinking of it earlier. "I want to thank you for what you did today, the whole Tony thing and all."

Leon's eyes remained on Cloud's face as the blond looked up. His expression didn't change but his eyes grew gentle. "You don't need to thank me for that."

"I know that, but I want to." Cloud said, beginning to lose his nerve. "It felt really nice to watch Tony get his ass kicked by someone other than me for a change."

Leon huffed as his eyes dropped lower, focusing somewhere by Cloud's chest. "I'd do it a million times if that's what it takes for him to learn to keep his hands off you."

Cloud's mouth hung open for a brief second before he remembered to close it again. He couldn't get enough of that tone Leon was using with him now. It made his body ache in the most pleasant way. A swell of emotion and gratitude swept through the blond as he fought to hide them from the brunet. "It really meant a lot; I just wanted you to know that."

Leon looked back up at Cloud's face and nodded. "Thanks for having my back, too."

"It's what friends do, ya?" Cloud said with a wide smile.

Leon took a step forward and placed his hand on Cloud's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Gray-blue eyes focused on his hand on the blond's shoulder as his mouth parted slightly as though he were meaning to say something. Cloud's body began to tingle all over as he watched a complacent expression drift over Leon's face before being replaced with his normal detached disposition. He wanted to know so badly what was going through Leon's mind because at that moment Cloud was fighting off the urge to gently pull Leon closer and place a soft kiss on those slightly parted lips.

He knew that would be a mistake. Of course this whole situation seemed more romantic to him that it probably was to Leon; Leon wasn't the one crushing madly over his new friend. Cloud still wanted to touch the brunet in some way but didn't want to seem too forward. A gentle breeze blew by them, ruffling their hair with the wind reminding Cloud that time wasn't actually standing still. Leon still had his hand on his shoulder and his own hand twitched, wanting to reach up and take the brunet's in his own, but he thought better of it. The touch still had Cloud's mind reeling as he stood there, enjoying the way his heart fluttered wildly in his chest and how such an innocent touch was making his whole body tingle in anticipation.

After a few more seconds of silence, Leon took a gentle breath in and slid his hand from Cloud's shoulder down his arm. His touch lingered at Cloud's elbow before giving him another gentle squeeze before breaking the contact all together. Cloud's breath hitched and he did his best to hide that fact as the romantic spell was finally broken, leaving him with only the repercussions of what had just happened. He shifted his weight in attempts to hide the fact that his body was aching for the brunet and he wondered to himself how much he was blushing at that moment.

"You okay?" Leon asked in a hushed tone, fully bringing the blond back from his inner thoughts.

"Yeah," Cloud answered, eyes not being able to meet the brunet's just yet. He needed to get a grip. Cloud smiled before letting out a small chuckle. "Only, can you show me how to climb up the side of my house? My bedroom door is still locked."

Leon's mouth twitched as he nodded. "Sure thing."

Cloud followed Leon to the side of the house beneath his window, his smile as wide as can be.

Later that night, managing to make and eat supper without incident with his mother, Cloud walked up to his bedroom and locked the door behind him. It was Friday night so he didn't worry about homework. To be truthful, he was still far too wound up from the walk home with Leon to be able to focus on anything else. He pulled out his phone and scrolled down until Leon's name was highlighted. He just wanted to see his name and began wondering what the brunet was doing at this moment. He said Leon's name under his breath as his body began to react to the memory of those lips as Leon had his hand on Cloud's shoulder. He couldn't blame himself for thinking about kissing the brunet as Leon looked at him so tenderly. Cloud knew that the situation seemed so much more intense to him than it probably did to Leon, but it was intense nonetheless.

Leon was probably just worried about him and wasn't sure how to express it in any other way. That thought made Cloud feel guilty for reacting as he did, even if Leon didn't know what he did to the blond. Leon had no idea how his touches and eyes caused Cloud's body begin to stir with an excitement that would make any man blush. Cloud preferred to keep it that way, obviously, as he appreciated Leon's friendship and the things that he had already done for him.

Cloud pressed a few keys on his phone and began typing. He had an urge to send Leon a text message but wasn't sure what he wanted to write. He started writing that everything was fine at home, but quickly erased it as he wasn't even sure if Leon would believe him. Cloud huffed and smiled to himself as a new message began to take form. _'Thanks again for today.'_ But even that seemed a little weird to Cloud as he erased the second attempted message.

The blond looked up at his ceiling and thought to himself. He didn't even know why he wanted to text Leon right now; he just did. He looked back down at his phone after a few silent moments and began typing again, smiling to himself as he did. _'I think I'm falling for you.'_ Cloud's smile grew wider and heart began throbbing as he re-read the message before shaking his head. He hit the send button and scrolled down to Leon's name, as if daring himself to send it. As Leon's name came into view, Cloud almost panicked and hit the discard key, chuckling from the giddiness he was feeling.

Cloud rolled his eyes as he shut his phone and dropped it on the bed beside him. He couldn't believe how light and giddy he was feeling right now, but those thoughts along with his upcoming day were what filled his mind as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Leon starring in his dreams the entire night.

-o-o-o-

Okay, so it turned out a little sappy at the end, but I _like_ that sort of thing. :o) I'm going to be scrambling to write the next chapter for you guys next week, but if it doesn't sit right with me there may be a little bit more time between this update and the next. Please don't hate me; I'll work really hard towards that not happening. Need to kill off some time? Leave a review! I hear they're fun. XD


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I was going to save this chapter for tomorrow since I have very little time right now, but ChrK has requested it to be posted before the weekend and since there's the threat of snow over the weekend where ChrK is from, how could I refuse?! Being from Canada as well, I feel your pain. *hugs*

I gave this a quick re-over before posting so I apologize for any errors. I will fix those up afterwards; it's just I'm in a rush right now so I may have missed things. Hope you enjoy!

-o-o-o-

Cloud felt good the next morning. He wasn't sure if it was the excitement of spending the day with Leon, a part of that just the two of them, or the excitement of recalling every detail of the dreams he had the night before of the brunet. Either way, it all amounted to the same thing: he was completely smitten with Leon.

He woke up with a huge grin on his face, the image of those nonchalant eyes watching him intently fading as his mind completely woke up. Cloud arched his back off the bed with a massive stretch, reaching his arms over his head and extending his legs until his muscles shuddered with relief. He felt more than good; he felt absolutely amazing.

Nothing could break his good mood that morning, not even his mother as she complained almost all morning about this and that, Cloud making the most negligible of acknowledgements while he ate his breakfast before retreating back to his room to prepare for the upcoming day. He showered, enjoying in the warm water as it cascaded down his body and started thinking about what he was going to wear. He wanted to look good but he didn't want to make it obvious that he was aiming for 'attractive' as this was just suppose to be a night out with the guys.

He tapped his lower lip with his finger and he looked into his closet once dried off from the shower. He couldn't remember the last time he put this much thought into the way he dressed. By no means was he the sloppy type, but he dressed for comfort more than for looks. He used to put some thought into it, but that was a long time ago. Things had changed since then.

He pulled out a dark pair of cargo pants and held them up against his waist before looking back into the closet for a shirt that would both look good and match these pants but frowned when he didn't like the options. He tossed his pants to the ground and rummaged through his shirts, finding a casual white collared shirt with pin stripes before snorting and throwing that on the ground as well.

He went back to tapping his lower lip before he rolled his eyes at himself. He wasn't going on a date so he didn't know why it mattered so much what he wore; it was unlikely Leon would take notice of his clothes. His heart fluttered slightly at the thought of the brunet as he reached back into his closet and pulled out a white long-sleeved tee with a black design across one side. He decided to stop being such a girl and pulled out a pair of cargo jeans, dressing himself after spending another few moments pondering over which boxers to wear, not like it would make a difference.

Once dressed, Cloud stood in front of his mirror and looked himself over. He was generally pleased with the way he looked, the shirt he had picked out showing both how slender he was as well as the muscles framing his body. He nodded to himself with a smirk before frowning at his hair. Cowlicks were a bitch and he hated the way his hair spiked at the most random places. Even though years of experience taught him that there just was no fighting this curse, he tried to flatten his hair anyhow, rolling his eyes when his spikes bounced back into place. He had tried gelling them once before but they turned into deadly weapons and he was afraid of taking someone's eye out.

Once deciding to let his hair be, Cloud took a few steps closer to the mirror and examined the bruise on his jaw and his healing split lip. Both still looked rather painful and he hoped no one would ask about them that night when the others joined him and Leon at the pool hall. He didn't feel like getting into that with people he didn't know. Hell, he didn't like getting into that with people he did know.

He ran a thumb over his lip and almost smiled at the memory of Leon doing the same to him the night he stayed over at the brunet's. He wished he knew what Leon was thinking when he touched him like that, or what was going through his mind when he studied the bruise on his back. The conflicting emotions of sadness from seeing the almost-sorrow in the brunet's eyes and exhilaration of being touched so intimately by the object of his affection waged a war in the blond's head and he didn't know what to make of it. He tried not to think too much of it since that would lead to an obsession of trying to figure it out which ran the risk jeopardizing their new friendship. The moments those hands were on him, though – Cloud let out a small sigh and tried to hide his smile from himself. His whole world fell away and the only thing that was left was Leon and himself.

Cloud didn't know how long he was out of it but he seemed to snap back to reality when he noticed that he was still touching his lips with the tip of his finger. He let his hand fall to his side as he scrutinized himself in the mirror. It's not like Leon would notice him in the way he wished he would, but Cloud wanted to look subtly incredible. That thought caused a new thought to pop into his head: what kind of girl was Leon into? A jolt of jealousy flashed through Cloud's mind causing his heart rate to pick up slightly but he couldn't help but wonder if Leon ever cared about a girl intimately before. If he had, who was the lucky bitch and what did she look like? Cloud narrowed his eyes at himself in the mirror and shook his head. _Drama queen…_

He had time to kill so Cloud began working on his homework since he wasn't sure when he'd get a chance to complete it that weekend. Things were normally up in the air with his mother's behaviour and he'd rather be safe now than sorry later. He didn't notice the time pass before his cell phone began to ring pulling him from his textbook.

His heart leapt as he all but flew to his dresser to retrieve his phone, a wide smile spreading across his lips as Leon's name appeared on the display.

"Hey," Cloud said a little too enthusiastically as he flipped his phone open, shaking his head at his own patheticness. He glanced at himself in the mirror again and tried to erase the huge smile he was sporting, groaning in the process as it refused to go away.

"You okay?" Leon asked in response to Cloud's groan, a tinge of worry lacing his tone.

"Yeah," Cloud answered, blushing slightly at not being able to control himself at the moment. "Just spilled my water on the desk." he lied, turning away from the mirror. Watching himself was becoming too painful. It wasn't as though Leon could see him at the moment but Cloud was embarrassed with himself.

"That's unfortunate," Leon responded, voice returning to the cool tone Cloud was used to before Cloud heard the distinctive sound of a zipper on the other end of the line.

"Are you ready to head out?" Cloud asked, listening for any other indication of what was going on at Leon's place.

"No, not yet; just checking in with you." Leon answered as a shuffling sound became the prominent background noise. "What time do you want to head out for lunch?"

Cloud looked over at his alarm clock and was shocked to find that it was already after one in the afternoon. Where had the morning gone? "Whenever you're ready, I suppose. I'm all set."

Cloud heard more shuffling sounds before Leon softly cursed under his breath.

"What's going on over there?" Cloud asked, not able to suppress his curiousity any longer.

"Just got out of the shower; trying to get dressed with one hand."

Cloud's heart jumped into his throat. Leon was… almost naked when he called him? The zipper sound, shuffling – Cloud's mouth went dry and he wondered for the life of him: why? He cleared his throat and bit his lower lip, flinching as his teeth grazed over his split lip. "You know, you could have called me after you got dressed." Cloud tried to sound normal with an air of lighthearted teasing.

"In hindsight, that would have been a better idea." Leon said coolly. "I'll meet you at your place when I'm done here. Give me ten minutes and I'll head out."

Cloud nodded before rolling his eyes at himself. "Sounds good."

There was a moment of silence before Leon spoke again. "Umm… do I ring the doorbell or are you jumping out of your window again?"

Cloud chuckled. "I'll wait for you on the porch; less broken bones that way."

"Yeah," Leon agreed. "See you within a half an hour."

Cloud paced around in his room waiting for time to pass but it seemed like it was going slower than normal. His mind was still racing over the thought of a half-naked Leon talking to him on the phone causing his body to tingle slightly. He tried to imagine what a shower-wet, half-naked Leon would look like as he pulled up his pants with a phone balancing between his ear and shoulder and decided to stop as his body began responding very inappropriately to the image his head came up with.

Cloud rubbed his eyes with his hands before deciding that fresh air would do him good. He would wait on the porch.

Cloud couldn't keep his eyes from staring intently down the road waiting for the brunet to appear. His heart would flutter every time he noticed someone from down the road walking towards his house but as they drew closer he would frown with disappointment. He couldn't believe how much of a girl he was being right now and that thought caused him to look down and grin. Infatuation was a funny thing. It caused him to be so much more excited about a day out with the guys than he should be. It made his stomach feel tight with anticipation just at the thought of the brunet, let alone spending time with him alone before the others showed up. It made him appreciate the beautiful day so much more than he would have had he not been going out with Leon. It made him jump in surprise as a figure approached his house; Leon, sporting his normal impassive expression watching the blond deep in thought. At least he did alright with his recovery.

"Hey," Cloud said with a smile, standing up from the step he was sitting on before making his way towards the curb.

Leon kept his eyes on the blond and nodded with a quick tightening of the lips. Only feet away, Cloud couldn't help but glance at what Leon was wearing, suppressing a grin as he thought about that image of a shower-wet, half-naked Leon.

"Well, that's a relief. I almost wore the same thing." Leon said impassively, eyes grazing over Cloud then resting back on baby blues.

Cloud tilted his head before looking down at his clothes. "R-really?" he asked, stuttering only slightly.

The corner of Leon's lip gave a little twitch before his eyes seemed to have relaxed. "I was kidding…"

"It's hard to tell with you." Cloud said, a smile cracking across his features. "You don't necessarily express yourself in the most readable manner."

"I like to keep you on your toes." Leon joked, eyes slightly narrowing before he began walking again, Cloud a pace behind him.

"You accomplish that without your little jokes." Cloud added, wishing he hadn't said that the second the words left his mouth. He couldn't explain that one if Leon asked about it, and just as Cloud's luck would have dictated –

"How do I do that?" Leon asked, stopping and glancing over his shoulder, allowing Cloud to catch up.

Cloud bit his lip and looked down at the pavement. He was definitely not sure how to answer than question without letting the truth slip and the truth was not something he wanted to tell Leon. That would set an awkward tone for the rest of their day.

"Where do you want to eat?" Cloud asked, skipping over the question entirely and without any grace whatsoever.

Leon narrowed his eyes slightly at the blond in an amused way before looking back out in front of him. "Zell told me of a place nearby with good food."

"Where?" Cloud asked, a smile forming once again at the sight of this beautiful man.

"Teethers," Leon answered before looking over to Cloud. "Have you ever been?"

Cloud tried hard not to react but he was sure that his eyebrows twitched slightly and his smile threatened to explode across his face. "I have. Good food; nice place, but…"

Leon waited for him to continue that sentence but after a moment of silence he decided to prompt the blond further. "But what?"

Cloud ran a hand through his hair and bit his lip to suppress his grin. "It's, umm… great food, yeah but uhh… well, it's sort of known as the _date_ spot around here." He waited for Leon's face to scrunch up with disgust and threaten to kill Zell but it never happened.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?" Leon asked, eyes watching the blond's carefully.

Cloud's heart stopped beating at the moment and his chest felt like it was trying to crush his ribs. He couldn't believe that response and what's worse - he didn't know what to make of it. Did Leon just want to try the supposedly good food that he didn't care whether people thought they were on a date or did he mean this was sort of like a date for them? He wished he knew which one it was because that would make choosing his next response so much easier. He pondered over this for a moment before Leon sighed and stopped walking.

"It does make you uncomfortable… I'm sorry."

Cloud's eyes went wide as they shot up to look into the brunet's. "No! No, no. It doesn't make me uncomfortable."

Leon's expression was impossible to read as he searched the blond's face. "It's okay, Cloud. We don't have to eat there."

"I want to eat there." Cloud said desperately before he cringed at how he sounded. He was now unsure of what Leon thought about him being so desperate to eat at the date spot.

Leon paused before tightened his lips. "Can we talk about this elephant in the room?"

Cloud's heart stopped once more and he looked down at the pavement. "I would prefer we not…" he said meekly.

Leon's eyes searched Cloud's downturned face before he nodded, resuming their walk. "I still want to eat at Teethers." he said, glad once the blond started following him again.

"Sounds good to me." the blond responded, glad he dodged that bullet but was still a little upset at himself for not being able to hide his feelings for Leon. Now it was official that Leon knew how he felt; he couldn't think of anything else Leon would be referring to when he said 'elephant in the room'. He shook his head and decided not to let that ruin the rest of their day.

Lunch went on a normal as possible considering the circumstances, the elephant remaining as quiet as Cloud could have hoped. They chatted about pool mostly, the meal going by with the neutral topic putting both boys at ease. When the waitress came by to see if they needed anything else, they both declined before she asked whether the bill was together or separate.

Cloud answered separated at the same time Leon answered together causing that awkward little moment for the waitress as she waited for them to agree.

"I got it." Leon said to the waitress. She smiled with a nod before leaving them to fetch their bill.

"Leon," Cloud started, shaking his head. "You paid for me last time. If anything, I should be paying for you."

"That doesn't matter." Leon said watching the blond draw circles on the table with the condensation from his glass. "I'm just glad you wanted to come out with me today."

Cloud looked up from his patterns and tilted his head. "Glad? I'm happy you invited me out."

Leon's lips tightened lightheartedly and he nodded. "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

Cloud felt his heart pick up pace as he absorbed what Leon had just said. He couldn't believe the words Leon was choosing and it all made this feel like it really was a date. He, again, didn't want to get his hopes up and decided to play it cool. "I would have been stuck in my room probably studying all day, so it worked out for the both of us." He was pleased for throwing the ball back into Leon's court so flawlessly. What he really wanted to say would have turned him into a mushy, awe-struck girl.

The waitress came back with their bill. Leon left cash on the table and stood up, Cloud following suit before they both left the restaurant.

Idle chitchat filled the space between them as they made their way towards the pool hall. Time seemed to be flying by them as they chatted about whatever crossed their mind at that moment. Cloud was thoroughly enjoying himself and Leon seemed to be having a good time as well.

Once they arrived at the pool hall, Leon reserved three tables close to one another just in case it got busy before Eric and the others came. Cloud followed him to a table in the corner of the large room and grinned at the pool cues.

"I hope you have patience, Leon, because you're going to need it with the way I play."

Leon's eyes watched the blond as he picked up a cue and examined the tip. Cloud didn't notice the brunet watching him as he chalked the tip and tapped the butt of the cue on the ground.

"I'm sure you're not that terrible." Leon said as he reached down and began racking the balls.

Cloud smiled up at Leon and tilted his head. "You don't know me that well; you can't be sure of anything."

Leon prepped a cue for himself before motioning towards the balls. "Wanna break?"

Cloud laughed and shook his head. "I'm not about to embarrass myself right off the bat. You'd better do it."

Leon shook his head and moved to Cloud's side. "I want to see you do it. I can't teach you how to become better if I don't see how bad you really are, can I?"

Cloud rubbed the back of his head and closed one eye. "Promise not to laugh?"

"When have you ever seen me laugh?" Leon responded smartly, causing the blond to chuckle before leaning over to make the break.

"You got me there," Cloud said as he took his aim. "Here goes nothing."

Cloud aimed before taking his shot. The cue ball flew towards the others and broke them apart with a loud snap, balls breaking formation but not going too far. He let out a sigh before looking back at Leon. "That's pretty good for me, actually."

Leon crossed his arms over his chest before examining the balls. "No good. Try again." He walked to the other end of the table and re-racked the balls.

"Try again? Isn't that breaking the rules?" the blond asked as Leon placed the balls.

"We're learning, not playing yet." Leon answered as he made his way back over to Cloud.

Cloud leaned over again to take his aim before he became aware of how close Leon was standing behind him. This caused his cheek to flush and heart to thud in his chest.

"Spread your legs a little more," Leon instructed from his position behind Cloud causing Cloud to blush a little more. "And shoot with your shoulders, not your arms."

Cloud took his time aiming, giving his cheeks a chance to return to normal before taking his shot. Again, he aimed and hit the cue ball breaking the others apart with a loud snap. They broke apart and traveled slightly further than last time but still rather pathetic considering.

Leon huffed then shook his head. "You are pretty bad…"

"Can't say I didn't warn you…" Cloud responded with a playful pout.

Leon closed one eye as he watched the blond try and look sad. "Watch me do it." he said, moving to the other end of the table, once again re-racking the balls. Once they were set, he moved back over to where Cloud was standing and leaned over the table to aim his shot. Cloud couldn't help but take a quick glance down at Leon's ass before he diverted his eyes back to the game.

When Leon took his shot the cue ball whipped down the table and broke the other balls apart, sinking two of them in the process.

"It works better if you use your shoulders for strength." Leon said, moving across the table to pull the two sunken balls from the pockets before he started racking them again. "You have the strength; you just need to use it."

"Maybe I just don't have the strength," Cloud offered with a grin, fully enjoying watching Leon move about unaware that the blond was staring.

"But you do," Leon said, glancing up at Cloud with blue-gray eyes before looking back down at the balls he was placing. "If the damage on Tony and his friends' faces are of any indicator."

Cloud chuckled and shook his head. "Okay, I'll try again." He leaned over the table once more and aimed his ball before he felt a hand on his left shoulder.

"Drop this shoulder a bit to give leverage to the other." Leon said, pushing Cloud's shoulder down gently before moving to his other side. "And move your hand up on the cue." He took Cloud's hand in his own and shifted it down the shaft of the pool cue before taking a step back. "Spread your legs a bit more for balance."

Cloud followed his instructions and aimed his shot. He tried to remember to use his shoulder for the shot before he shot the ball. The cue broke the balls and this time they broke apart much further than before, sinking a stripe in the process.

"Oh God! I actually sunk something!" he laughed, watching the balls settle from the break. He looked back at Leon who was watching him with a contented look on his face despite the void of any other emotion.

"I told you you're not that bad." Leon offered with a nod. "You just have to know how to play, that's all."

Cloud nodded in return then motioned towards the table. "Okay, ready to kick ass!" he said, grinning as he lined up his next shot. Leon stopped him before he could get the shot off.

"Do you really want to sink that one?" he asked, closing one eye as he looked at the ball almost ready to put itself in the pocket.

"Umm… yeah, it's an easy shot."

"It is, but that one," he said, pointing to number eleven. "Is a less obvious easy shot which will block my next shot if you miss."

Cloud pondered over this for a second before smiling. "I suppose that's a good point." he said trying not to sound too sheepish. He moved around the table and aimed, took the shot, and missed. He shook his head with a grin. "I thought it was supposed to be an easy shot…"

Leon pursed his lips before setting up the balls in the position they were in before Cloud attempted the shot. "Lets try again."

Cloud smiled as he watched Leon cheat for him before aiming and missing the shot again.

Leon shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, one more time. This time wait…" Leon set up the balls again before moving around the table to stand behind Cloud. "Line up your shot but don't shoot yet."

Cloud leaned over the table and aimed his shot before pausing. "Now what, oh mighty pool shark?"

Leon huffed before setting his pool cue against a nearby table. He pushed Cloud's left shoulder down again and moved his hand down towards the end of the cue shaft. "Don't forget what you've already learned so far." he said before kicking the blond's feet apart slightly. "Balance and aim." Leon moved in closer to Cloud and wrapped his arms around Cloud, guiding the aim from behind. Cloud's heart thudded against his chest as Leon drew closer, his face only inches from his own on his left side. He could feel the brunet's hips against his backside causing a surge of heat to pool at his groin.

Leon moved his arms down Cloud's and wrapped his fingers around the blond's wrists, effectively making Cloud forget his name in the process. He was sure his body was tingling but right now it just felt numb with excitement.

"Shoot low for a backspin." Leon said, tilting Cloud's right arm up slightly. "The cue ball won't go as far and aim a little to the left to angle the eleven towards the pocket." While he was explaining this to Cloud, he moved his arms in the correct position. Cloud found his body temperature skyrocketing and he wanted nothing more than to turn his head to looking into those eyes; so close to his right now. He was also pretty sure his jaw was hanging open at the moment.

"Wait until it feels comfortable; try and envision where the eleven is going to go with the angle, then shoot." Leon continued to instruct before he pulled away from Cloud.

It was almost like a brick wall when Leon moved away from him; time started up again and the physical repercussions of his previous proximity were becoming very well known to the blond. In a way he was glad Leon moved as he couldn't be responsible for his actions if Leon remained that close. On the other hand, he yearned to feel Leon's body up against his again, pressed up against him making his body shudder.

"Are you aiming?" Leon asked, watching the body take his time with the shot.

"Yeah…" Cloud lied. He was really just relishing in the fact that his body still felt like it was on fire. He took a deep breath in hopes to clear his head before taking his shot, the eleven falling into the pocket.

"Good job," Leon said with his normal nonchalant voice; a jaded expression not showing an ounce of happiness. "What are you going for next?"

Cloud and Leon played through the game and a couple more, Leon offering pointers here and there to guide Cloud with his shots. Cloud was on cloud nine as Leon would shift his posture slightly for a better aim or angle and he tried to absorb as much information as possible. He began to really feel the need to pick up as much as he could before the other guys made it out so he and Leon would have a fighting chance at winning. Leon was proving to be quite the pool shark with his experienced shots, sinking balls that Cloud would have otherwise thought impossible. Cloud didn't know how good the other guys were with pool but he was sure Leon would more than compensate for his lack of skill.

As Leon suspected, the pool hall began to fill up throughout the afternoon but the tables they had reserved created a bubble between them and the others, something that Cloud was grateful for. He was enjoying the time they were spending together and hoped Leon was having just as much fun. It was hard to tell with him since his expression always remained impassive, but conversation came naturally and he figured that Leon must be enjoying himself. Maybe not as much as Cloud since he was absolutely falling for the brunet by the second, but having a good time nonetheless.

After their practice games Leon set up the balls again for their next game, motioning for Cloud to break again. Cloud grinned as he mentally checked to ensure he was in posture as Leon had instructed before he took his shot. The balls broke with a loud snap and he once again sunk a stripe.

"Very good," Leon said, eyes following Cloud as he moved to the other side of the table for his next shot.

Cloud searched the table and found his next shot and leaned over the table to take aim. He tried to imagine where the ball would go with the angle he was trying for before he felt Leon's hand on his back. He looked over his shoulder and closed one eye. "Bad shot?" he asked, watching jaded eyes scanning the table.

Leon looked down at Cloud and shook his head. "No, it's what I would do."

Cloud nodded, eyes still searching Leon's face before he looked back to the game. He had no idea why Leon's hand was on him but he wasn't complaining in the least. He could feel the warmth coming from the brunet's palm on his skin and that made him relax. He tried to refocus on his angle but his mind kept going back to the feeling of Leon's hand on him and he once again felt his body stir with a jolt of excitement.

He tried to imagine where the ball would go but only found himself imagining himself standing up straight, turning around, and kissing Leon. His mind startled him when he found his imaginary Leon half-naked and damp from his shower while Cloud took his lips with his own.

He shook his head and let out a deep breath before taking his shot, sinking his intended ball before standing up straight. _Don't turn around… don't turn around…_

"Good show," Leon said from behind him, rubbing his back quickly before he removed his hand, walking to the other side of the table.

Cloud watched him in awe; he couldn't believe what was going on here. Dare he think it; did Leon maybe kinda like him the way the blond liked him? Cloud bit his lower lip with a half smile before his breath caught in his throat again as Leon looked back up at him.

"Are you going to take your next shot?"

"Mmm-hmm…" Cloud said with a short nod before looking down at the table. In all honesty, he wasn't thinking about his next shot but was thinking about what this all meant. The way Leon wanted to see him today, alone, without the others; how Leon wanted to eat at Teethers and once again picked up the tab; the manner in which Leon taught him how to properly take a shot; the way Leon touched him. Cloud blinked a few times before searching the table for his next shot. If his mind were to clock out now he would be of no use to Leon when everyone else got there.

Once again, this game was not even close as Leon aimed for the eight ball. Cloud had two stripes blocking Leon's indicated pocket so the blond just grinned and leaned against the table.

"Wouldn't it be smarter to just move the cue away from my next shot?" he asked almost smugly. "The cue ball can't go through my balls, just to let you know."

Leon looked up from his aim and narrowed his eyes at the blond, an air of contentment radiating from him. "It's a little early for you to be smug, ya?"

Cloud shrugged as he looked back down at the balls on the table. "I'm just saying. I'm no expert, but that's my advice to you."

"And this is how I show off for you," Leon said as he struck the ball, sending it bouncing over Cloud's balls, hitting the eight ball and sending it into the pocket.

"Oh fuck!" Cloud laughed, launching off the table with a wide smile. "How the hell did you manage that?"

"What? That old trick?" Leon said, blowing the tip of his cue stick. It was his turn to be smug. "That was _nothing_ special, really…"

Cloud laughed as he watched Leon make his way towards him from the other end of the table. He could have sworn he saw a smile playing with the corners of his lips, but physically Leon was showing no expression at all.

"You're really full of yourself, aren't ya?" Cloud teased, not missing his heart rate pick up again as Leon drew closer.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Sometimes I have the right to be." He leaned his pool cue against the side of the table and drew closer to the blond, Cloud watching his every move with a happy smile. "Cloud, I…"

Cloud's smile widened before he took in a deep breath. Leon was just too perfect and it really made his heart ache. "Yeah?"

Leon stopped beside Cloud and looked down to the floor. "I…" He rubbed the back of his head before shaking it, dropping his hand down to his side. "I just-"

"Leon!" a voice called out from a few feet away. "Hey guys!" It was Eric; he was smiling from ear to ear. It was hard not to like the guy because he was so damn friendly. Cloud tried not to frown. "You guys got here early; it's not even six."

Leon took a step back from Cloud causing the blond to watch him in confusion. "Yeah, we had nothing to do so we thought we'd get a few practice games in."

"Gonna need it tonight." Eric smiled as the rest of his friends scattered to the other tables. "I feel like I'm on fire."

_Me too…_ Cloud thought to himself as his heart ached for Leon. He was curious about what Leon wanted to say before he was interrupted.

Leon nodded at Eric before looking back over to Cloud with an easy storm brewing behind blue-gray; Cloud had never seen anything like it before as his eyes stared back into Leon's.

"What was it that you going to say?" Cloud asked lowly as Eric prepared a cue at the other end of the table.

Leon took in a little breath before pursing his lips. "It's nothing…"

Cloud turned so he was facing Leon and tilted his head slightly. "I wanna know anyway." he said a little lower, voice going gentle as he tried to coax it out of Leon.

Leon bit at this lower lip before dropping his eyes to the ground. "Later, 'kay?"

Cloud didn't want to push the issue but he wanted so badly to hear the words come out of Leon's mouth. He knew he was probably setting himself up for a major disappointment but he couldn't help himself. What Leon was about to say seemed important causing the blond's breath to come out almost in pants. It was unlikely he was going to forget to ask Leon about it later so he just let it drop as the boys launched into a new game.

-o-o-o-

Ah! Gotta run! Please review?


	11. Interlude: Leon's Review

A/N: Okay people - we're going to switch things up a little with this chapter. As suggested in a review left by **Jade003**, this chapter focuses on Leon's POV. Originally this was going to be added a little later on after certain other things were revealed but this chapter really just wrote itself and I couldn't help but make this sort of like an interlude for the story. **Jade003's** suggestion was originally for a oneshot or separate chapter but I thought this chapter fit alright with the flow of the story, so here you go! :o) It has an 'in-review' feel to it so I hope you still enjoy. Reviews are mucho appreciated! XoXo

-o-o-o-

Leon started at the sound of the alarm before swinging his arm out of bed to smack the thing quiet. It worked and he closed his eyes to fall back asleep. Just as he got himself comfortable again he remembered why he set it in the first place. His heart leapt again but this time for another reason completely; he was going to spend the day with Cloud.

His eyes opened slowly as he focused on one point of his ceiling, an almost excitement growing in his chest as he remembered how happy Cloud had looked when he suggested they meet up for a late lunch and pool practice before the other guys showed up; baby blues lighting up the entire street as the blond fumbled over his words. Leon enjoyed watching Cloud try to keep composure, wondering to himself whether it was just cruel or if he should put the poor guy out of his misery and tell him everything. He pursed his lips and shook his head. No – he couldn't tell him everything yet. He didn't feel ready and as much as he wanted to believe he could trust Cloud, past experience has told him that no one should be trusted completely.

He could hear Zell and Irvine move around in the kitchen and decided to stay in bed until he could cook breakfast uninterrupted. He wanted time to think and Zell wasn't the type of person that you could be in a room with and be able to think to yourself. He liked the guy but the brunet felt the need to organize his thoughts about what was happening today.

It wasn't hard to tell that Cloud liked him. He sort of gathered that for the moment the blond laid eyes on him in the principal's office that first morning. He gave Cloud credit for attempting to hide that fact but the blond wore his heart on his sleeve. His eyes told the world everything that was going on in that blond head of his. Leon wasn't a stranger to gawking; it happened to him all the time back at home but there was something different about Cloud. It was almost sad, like a kid looking at a puppy dog through the window but knowing his mother would never let him have it. Leon didn't even know why that caught his attention that first day, but it did. He told himself he was going to have a fresh start in a new city and nothing was going to make him lose focus until he felt settled.

He scolded himself for his moment of weakness at the office until he walked into the classroom, finding a spare desk beside the blond. He didn't even have time to think about it before his body carried him over to Cloud. He was a little stunned at the automatic response but reasoned with himself that it was alright to want to make a friend. And a friend he made; Cloud reminded him so much of himself before everything happened back at home. He was drawn to him.

Getting to know the blond was easy enough as Cloud seemed really receptive to a new friend, even if Leon suspected it was because Cloud was attracted to him. That didn't matter to him, though. He was friendly enough. When Tony and his entourage were introduced was when Leon really began to feel something more; something he hadn't felt since he lived at home with his father. The anger - the familiar all-consuming rage that flourished through his body when Tony began talking down to Cloud about his sexuality, actually _warning_ Leon about him. Warning… heh, Tony was a real prick. He wanted to say something when he saw the pain and humiliation in Cloud's soft eyes but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He barely had his own emotions in check and if he'd learned anything from Balamb, it was not to let the world know what's going on in your head. That was a decision he regretted when Cloud left, the blond actually feeling the need to apologize to him before retreating from Tony.

After Cloud had left, Tony started chatting about the school and his friends, something Leon barely registered as he couldn't get that hurt look on Cloud's face out of his mind. He wanted to redo that whole episode and punch Tony in the face for what he said but that wasn't an option. Finally, he shook his head at Tony and walked away, knowing it was going to be hard to find the library on his own but he _needed_ to see the blond again.

On his search for the library he worked over things to say in his head but nothing seemed right. He knew he couldn't let on too much about what he was feeling but he felt the need to make things right again for Cloud. Tony wasn't king shit and he wanted Cloud to know that he didn't care about any of that, regardless of how much it reminded him of himself.

Leon took a deep breath as he looked over at his bedroom window. It was going to be a nice day and he was grateful that the sun was shining. He allowed a small rare smile as he wondered what Cloud was up to at the moment. He wanted to make sure the blond had fun today since he doubted he got out often and the boy could use a good time. He made a mental note of ask Zell for a good place to eat.

The thought of food brought Leon back to his inner reminiscences as he recalled the fight he started in the cafeteria the day before. He was surprised at himself for his reaction but it was completely unavoidable. He had lost control, something that made him incredibly nervous but it was warranted in his mind. After seeing what Tony was capable of doing to Cloud made him furious beyond all reason and to see him touch _his_ Cloud was enough to send him over the edge. He was normally one for subtly, like the little hints he dropped during gym class on his second day, but when he saw Tony put his hand on Cloud's shoulder – he lost it. He couldn't remember charging Tony or how he ended up on top of him but he did recall Cloud jumping into the fight when Tony's friends joined. That thought warmed his heart, knowing that Cloud was just as willing to protect him as he was willing to protect the blond. That was a true friend and Leon was proud of Cloud; more than he thought he would be at that moment. He was angry and knew he lost his grip over himself. He shocked himself when his anger was renewed when Sephiroth touched Cloud and thought it would be best to remove Cloud from the cafeteria before he jumped the principal. He could control himself if the blond was within his control.

That's what made it so hard to let go when it was time for Cloud to go back home. He wouldn't have any control over the blond when he was with his mother and that drove him insane. It was the reason why he asked Cloud so often whether he was alright although he knew immediately the answer he would receive. It was the reason why he asked, almost pushed, about his mother. Cloud was a lot like him, again, when it came to that. He didn't want people knowing just as Leon didn't when he lived with his father. It was almost like Stockholm syndrome how Cloud would justify his mother's actions and tell Leon everything was alright. Leon couldn't drill it through his head that it wasn't alright and he was speaking from experience. He knew how bad things could get and until Cloud told him how bad things did get, he could only lay in his bed and worry. He would flip open his phone and search for the blond's name in his contact list only to close it again. He couldn't randomly call Cloud for no reason although he was sure the blond wouldn't mind. He just couldn't come off as weak or prying; he didn't want to hurt their friendship.

It still frustrated him to no end that Cloud thought he could shoulder all of this on his own. He had a heavy load with Tony, his mother, and his past. That's why Leon became fast friends with him because he knew how bad it could get and he didn't want to see Cloud go through the same thing he did. He thought he started getting through to Cloud and that offered some relief from the worry but it was far from over. He doubted Cloud would call him and tell him his mother was beating on him again for the sake of pride. The blond had a lot of it, something he admired, but he wished Cloud would let him inside his brick wall a little further. Maybe that was something he would start working on; becoming the one person Cloud could completely trust.

He shook his head as his eyes roamed back to his ceiling. How could he expect Cloud to trust him when Leon himself was unable to trust someone that way? It was a give-take and so far Leon was only thinking about the 'take'. He just had too much life experience for his age.

That experience, by some, may be seen as an asset but the pain behind it all really got to Leon. It was something he wanted to protect Cloud from but there was no way for him to do it. He couldn't guard the blond twenty four/seven; aside from that, Cloud would never let that happen. Cloud was a confident guy and he really could take care of himself but Leon didn't think that he should have to. Not in the way he was doing it. The first day, when Leon saw Cloud's injuries, he felt almost entranced as his eyes roamed over Cloud's features. It was almost like looking into a mirror, looking into his past, and that part disturbed him. He knew what it felt like to walk around school sporting injuries from something or another, other students watching him move about but not wanting to become involved or ask if he was alright. He knew his answer would be that he was fine, something he once again had in common with Cloud, but at least they could have stopped staring.

When he called Cloud a few nights ago, hearing Cloud's sobbed response over the line, he knew things were getting worse. He couldn't stop the mental images of himself lying broken on the floor after his father went mental over him and he fought the urge to scream. Scream at who, he wasn't sure, but panic cascaded over his body and he knew he just had to get Cloud out. He could hear the noise in the background from Cloud's mother and although he didn't know what was going on, Cloud was crying, that much he was sure about. His heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline kicked in. All he could tell himself was to remain calm; Cloud would need him to have a clear head. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him from his house to Cloud's. When he drew near he searched for the window on the second floor with the lights on and climbed, legs and arms shaking for he was nervous of what he was about to find; what state Cloud would be in.

He peered into the window and felt his stomach drop as Cloud sat on the bed, face buried in his hands. He looked so broken, so defeated… Leon's heart broke as he watched the still blond's body move with every breath. He frowned to himself before making sure his emotions were in check. He willed his heart to slow down and took a couple of deep breaths, relaxing his face so he didn't appear as worried as he was before tapping on the window. He couldn't help his heart as it skipped at the sight of Cloud, so happy to see him despite his current situation. The look in those eyes showing nothing of what was going on; he was just so thrilled to see the brunet. The look in Cloud's eyes as he opened the window made Leon happy although he refused to show it before the noticed the fresh injuries on Cloud's face. He felt like his heart dropped as he tried to not stare but once again, he felt like he was looking upon himself and he wanted nothing more than to snatch Cloud away and never let him return. That was _not_ how he left him that afternoon and an intense hatred towards Cloud's mother grew.

Of course, he later found out that it was Tony, not Cloud's mother, who attacked him but that did nothing to change his feelings. He hated Tony for everything he'd put Cloud through and he hated Cloud's mother for both allowing it and punishing Cloud for it. He couldn't help himself but touch Cloud's bruised jaw and cut lip, looking at the injuries but secretly watching Cloud's reaction to his touch. He didn't miss the way Cloud would lean into his hand or how is eyes softened as the blond watched Leon's face. By no means was Leon attempting to be a tease but he felt a need to memorize Cloud's injuries and Cloud's reactions were just a bonus. He once again felt an intense anger when he discovered the large, painful looking bruise on Cloud's back. This time, he wasn't able to hide his true emotions very well. He felt his wall slip as his heart filled with sorrow; Cloud trusting him enough to allow him to remove his shirt and touch his skin. He knew he sounded weak at that moment when he pleaded with the blond to let him see and he was positive Cloud caught onto that weakness. Had Cloud been watching he would have seen tears well up in Leon's eyes as the bruise was exposed but they were quickly discarded as Leon fought to keep his composure. He felt like he was in a trance as his fingers touched the heated skin, his mind recalling all of the times he had similar injuries. He didn't miss the goosebumps forming over the blond's skin and felt bad for making Cloud cold, so he thought, but he had a hard time believing that this type of injury was normal for Cloud. Things are so much clearer when they aren't happening to you.

When Cloud did look back at him he was certain he was able to hide his emotions well enough although the sight of baby blue on him made his heart throb all that much more. It was almost as though Cloud rested his chin on the brunet's hand and Leon wanted to hold the blond but that wouldn't be the best course of action. He was still adamant on settling in his new life before starting anything up and to tease the blond like that would be cruel. No – he kept up his icy disposition because that's what Cloud was used to and something he could hide behind until he felt comfortable opening up to Cloud. He felt like he wanted to but he was scared of what that would mean. He was scared of the way people change when they have information about you and how they abuse you with it. He didn't like to think of Cloud that way but, again, he had too much experience. Leon shook his head to dismiss these thoughts. He really didn't want to put himself in a foul mood before he met up with Cloud.

He didn't know Cloud all that well but from what he did learn, Cloud was a good guy. He didn't deserve what was going on and Leon wished he knew what to do to make it all better for the blond. Cloud seemed to really enjoy his company and he did too, but he wanted to do more. He didn't want to be the relief from the grief Cloud was going through; he wanted to be the solution.

Leon stretched in his bed and looked over at the time. He had spent a lot of time thinking about the blond after he woke up but he still had some time to kill before he could call Cloud. He knew the hardest part would be waiting so he decided to keep himself busy in the meantime. He got up out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen, Zell and Irvine sitting in the breakfast nook reading the paper.

"'Mornin'" Irvine said cheerfully as Leon walked into the kitchen.

"Hey," Leon responded, opening the fridge and taking out a carton of eggs.

Zell looked up and grinned with a nod before looking back down at the paper. "What are you up to today?"

Leon began to prepare an omelet and looked over his shoulder at the other two. "Homework, probably, then going out for lunch with Cloud. We're hitting up the pool hall afterward with a few friends."

"Sounds cool." Zell responded, not moving his eyes from the paper. "You made friends pretty fast since you got here."

Leon looked back at his food as he turned on the stove. He chose not to respond as it would only lead into another pointless conversation. Of course, this was Zell so he didn't need prompting.

"Is Cloud in your grade?" he asked, looking up from his paper at the back of Leon's head.

"Yeah," Leon responded, sighing quietly under his breath.

"What happened to him?" Zell once again asked, drawing Irvine's attention to the conversation. "He had a pretty nasty bruise and a split lip when we met him. You flew out of the house pretty damn fast before you came back with him."

"He's fine…" Leon responded, praying that they didn't push him for an answer.

"Didn't look fine." Zell replied, looking over to Irvine who was frowning slightly.

"Did his father do that to him, like yours?" Irvine asked. He was never one for tact.

Leon looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "He doesn't live with his father and no, his mother didn't do it. It was just a fight after school." He turned around and wished they would disappear somewhere. He didn't want to get all angry thinking about it all over again.

"Shit, man… I don't miss high school…" Zell said before taking a sip from his tea. "Too much drama; not enough action."

Irvine grinned at this and shook his head. "It's not like you get much action nowadays either, Romeo."

Leon listened to the two bicker back and forth as he prepared his breakfast. He was grateful that they weren't asking him about Cloud anymore; pleased that they had attention spans that could only be measured in nanoseconds. Then a thought occurred to him as he brought his breakfast to the table.

"You guys know of a good place to eat?" Leon asked the two.

"Tons!" Zell smiled. "What are you looking for?"

Leon shrugged as he took his first bite. "Just somewhere for Cloud and I. I don't know too many places around here yet."

Zell grinned before leaning back in his chair. "Teethers has good food. It's nice and close and not too far from the pool hall either."

Irvine snorted and flung a blueberry at Zell, earning a playful glare in the process.

Leon narrowed his eyes as he watched the two others snicker, Irvine finally shaking his head.

"I don't think that's the type of place you're looking for."

"Aww… you're no fun…" Zell pouted before looking down at the table.

"Why not?" Leon asked, wondering if he really wanted to know the answer.

Zell's pout turned into a grin before he looked up at Irvine. "It was just a joke."

Irvine rolled his eyes before looking over at Leon. "Teethers is a place you take someone on your first date. It known as the date restaurant."

"With good food." Zell added as though he was trying to redeem himself.

Leon looked from Irvine to Zell then back to Irvine. "Any other suggestions?"

Irvine and Zell began to tell Leon about other restaurants nearby and started a rating system of how good the food was. Leon listened to them before finally losing interest and ate his breakfast in silence. Picking a place to eat lunch with a friend wasn't supposed to be such a big deal and he was about done pondering over it. He wanted to bring Cloud to Teethers.

After breakfast Leon worked on his homework until it was about time to start getting ready. He locked his door and began undressing for his shower, wondering once again what Cloud was doing at the moment. He started the water and stepped under the spray, relishing in the feeling of warm water over his skin. He thought about the upcoming day as he bathed and couldn't wait to see Cloud's reaction to his suggestion of eating at Teethers. Would Cloud even know it was the date spot? Would he bring it up if he did? Leon could play dumb or disinterested if it did come up; he was getting very good as dodging awkward moments.

After he showered and dried, Leon wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way over to the closet. He pulled out an outfit he had picked out for himself the night before, looking at himself in the mirror. The cool air on his damp skin caused goosebumps to form over his body. For some unknown reason he thought about Cloud and decided he would call him to see whether he was ready yet or not.

He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and socks, grabbing his phone before flipping it open and searching for Cloud's name. He sat on his bed and pulled on his socks as he hit dial.

He phone rang a couple of times as he stood up before a very enthusiastic 'Hey' was heard over the line followed by a groan. He wasn't sure what to make of it; was Cloud just happy to hear from him or was there something going on at home causing the blond to want to leave immediately? And why the groan?

"You okay?" Leon asked, not being able to help the worry he felt that translated into his tone. He paused for a moment, listening to the background noise on the other end of the line. Upon hearing nothing but silence, Leon dropped his towel and began pulling on his boxers.

"Yeah," Cloud answered, nothing in his voice hinting at that not being true. Leon felt a little better with this as he grabbed his pants and started putting them on, balancing the phone between his ear and his shoulder. "Just spilled my water on the desk." Cloud continued, voice sounding a little reluctant to let that piece of information slip.

Leon pulled his pants up and almost grinned at the thought of the phone startling Cloud enough to spill his water. That would have been cute to watch. "That's unfortunate," Leon offered, zipping up his pants in the process.

"Are you ready to head out?" Cloud asked, his voice sounding off in a way, almost as though his was listening for something rather than asking randomly.

Leon secured his belt before picking up his shirt. "No, not yet." he said, removing the phone from his ear for a second as he slipped his head through the shirt. "Just checking in with you." He tried to put one arm through the sleeve but his still damp skin was making it a little harder than it should be. "What time do you want to head out for lunch?"

The was a brief pause before the blond answered. "Whenever you're ready, I suppose. I'm all set."

His voice sounded so cheerful and it made Leon feel so light. The brunet attempted to pull his shirt on the rest of the way but the phone slipped from his shoulder. Leon cursed under his breath as he caught the phone before it hit the ground, putting it back to his ear as he straightened his shirt properly.

"What's going on over there?" Cloud asked curiously, a slight hesitation in his voice.

Leon looked at himself in the mirror and checked to make sure his clothes were on straight before running his hand through his still damp hair. "Just got out of the shower; trying to get dressed with one hand."

There was another pause as Leon waited for Cloud to say something. He wondered if his phone dropped the call before Cloud spoke again. "You know, you could have called me after you got dressed." His voice was almost playful and Leon imagined a smirk playing across his lips. It caused goosebumps to appear over his skin once more.

"In hindsight, that would have been a better idea." he said coolly. He didn't know why he called Cloud before he was dressed. There was no reason for it; he just wanted to talk to the blond and wasn't thinking straight. "I'll meet you at your place when I'm done here. Give me ten minutes and I'll head out."

"Sounds good." Cloud responded. There was a difference in his voice from the way he answered the phone until now. He no longer sounded over-eager, but almost spaced, like he was deep in thought. There was another moment of silence before he decided to break it.

"Umm… do I ring the doorbell or are you jumping out of your window again?"

Cloud chuckled. The sound made Leon's heart thud in his chest and he glared at himself in the mirror for reacting in such a way. "I'll wait for you on the porch; less broken bones that way." the blond said causing Leon to smile slightly before hiding it away.

"Yeah, see you within a half an hour." With that, Leon flipped his phone shut and dropped his arms to his side. He didn't know what was coming over him but the blond was having quite the effect over him. He still felt a little tingly from speaking to the blond and he was insanely grateful he wasn't thinking straight; hearing the blond's voice when he was naked would have been awkward if he put two and two together when he had him on the phone.

He ran a hand through is hair again before turning around and glancing around his room. He pursed his lips before straightening up a bit, putting his laundry in the hamper and making his bed before making sure he had his keys and phone on him.

Leon left his room and made his way to the front door, rolling his eyes as Zell followed him.

"You look good," the blond said with a smirk, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest. "Is this a _date_?"

Leon narrowed his eyes at Zell as he began pulling on his boots. "He's just a friend." he said, deciding not to say too much more. There was no use. Zell already treated him like a younger brother, teasing and all.

"Uh huh… He is rather cute, you know." He scoffed to himself before adding, "Of course you know that…"

Leon decided to ignore that last comment, silently agreeing with Zell in his head before he stood up straight.

"Don't be out too late; I'll worry." Zell added, chuckling at the nonchalant expression on Leon's face.

"I'm sure you will…" Leon responded before opening the door.

"Just keep it down tonight if, you know, you bring him home."

Leon shot Zell a nasty look before stepping outside and slamming to door behind him. He couldn't get that last comment out of his head the entire way to Cloud's house.

He was jarred out of that thought the moment he saw Cloud, sitting on his porch looking completely spaced out. He fought the urge to smile as he once again got his emotions in check before drawing closer. He succeeded but felt himself slip when Cloud looked up at him with a smile.

"Hey," the blond said, standing up from the step and making his way towards him.

He wanted to respond but didn't think he could verbally without slipping even further. He nodded and tightened his lips as if to ensure they didn't do what they wanted. He watched Cloud for a reaction finding sounding else in its wake. Cloud's eyes roamed over his clothes before a slight blush coloured his cheeks. He looked as though his mind was elsewhere as his eyes traveled back up. Leon couldn't help but wonder if the blond was thinking about his clothes of what was under them. The brunet thought he'd make it easy for the blond and break the silence first.

"Well, that's a relief. I almost wore the same thing." he said impassively, eyes grazing over Cloud then resting back on baby blues. He thought it would make Cloud a little more comfortable if he reciprocated an interest in what they were wearing with a little joke.

The blond was going to be the death of him. He tilted his head in the cutest way, stuttering over his words like a child. "R-really?"

He really was going to be the death of him… Leon felt his composure slip a little further at this cute response, the corners of his lips twitching, wanting to smile with fondness before Leon scolded himself inwardly and replaced his expression with nothingness, not being able to help his eyes from relaxing on the blond. "I was kidding…"

Cloud's expression turned from uncertain to happy with a smile spreading across his lips. Leon had a hard time not watching them. "It's hard to tell with you." Cloud started in a lighthearted manner. Leon was grateful he was able to ease the awkwardness at first even if the blond really didn't get his joke. "You don't necessarily express yourself in the most readable manner."

That was a comforting thing for Leon to hear; he knew he did alright when it came to hiding his emotions and thoughts and Cloud just confirmed that for him. He decided to keep the tone lighthearted. "I like to keep you on your toes." With that he began walking down the road towards the restaurant he had chosen, Cloud following a pace behind him.

"You accomplish that without your little jokes." Cloud said causing curiousity on Leon's part. What did he mean by that, exactly? Leon was too curious to let that one slide.

"How do I do that?" he asked, stopping and glancing over his shoulder, allowing Cloud to catch up. He searched Cloud's face and almost regretted it the moment he noticed the blond bite his lower lip and look down to the ground. He had officially reintroduced the awkwardness they just managed to rid of and he wondered what Cloud was thinking at that moment. He knew how the blond felt about him, or he had a pretty good idea, and now he was almost trying to trick it out of him.

"Where do you want to eat?" the blond finally asked, looking up and meeting eyes with the brunet.

Leon grinned inwardly. He'd let that one go for the blond's sake. He did feel like he was being a little cruel, knowing how Cloud felt about him and dancing around it without any hint of what he felt himself, but he still wasn't ready to let go of his personal emotions. He was sure Cloud would be the one he could trust eventually but he couldn't let his heart trust just yet. Too many bad memories; too much pain… He dodged his own inner thoughts as he refocused back on the blond. Hopefully Cloud wouldn't question his choice of restaurant too much. He liked the idea of pretending this was a date even if Cloud was unaware and he hoped that Cloud would just go along with it.

-o-o-o-

So we understand Leon a little more now? I kinda think this makes his reactions a little more understandable even if the blond is too dense/stubborn/blind to catch on. At least _we_ know, ya? Hehe XD I start a new job on Monday which is going to take a lot of my time away from writing but I'm hoping to still be able to update on a regular basis. I have two more chapters for this story written already and will be using those to ease into my new routine. Wish me luck!

As always, I'd love to hear what you thought so if you have a moment, please review?


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Ah geez… I'm sorry guys. As mentioned before, I just started a new job and have either been 1) working, 2) sleeping, 3) trying not to sleep and failing, or 4) staring blankly at the wall in a half daze. Excuses, I know… It's killing me! Since my last update I haven't written anything, read anything, responded to reviews or PMs, or wrote to KlikStar! (I'm so sorry lovey!) I have a few minutes now so I figured I'd post the next chapter for you to read while I figure out how the hell I'm going to write again. I have one more written after this one and I really don't want to post it until I have written something more.

This sucks, guys… but I'll stop complaining right now and let you get on with the story. I apologize for the lateness and the lack of communication (for those who review/PM). I haven't forgotten about you and I'll respond as soon as I can. Thanks a bunches!

XoXo x 100

-o-o-o-

Cloud was brought out of his inner thoughts by a loud snap as Eric broke the racked balls, starting a new game. It was Leon and Cloud against Eric and a guy named Ryan. Cloud thought he would be very nervous at a time like this seeing how he still felt as though he sucked at pool and he was playing against people he really didn't know that well. It was one thing when he and Leon played together as the brunet taught him a few tricks; it was another when Leon would be relying on him to not completely mess up every shot. He was grateful Leon was taking the first shot for their team and smiled to himself at the thought of _their team_. He liked the sound of that.

They had enough guys out to fill the three tables Leon reserved with two sitting out each game. Cloud really hadn't hung out with people from school before and felt a little awkward as familiar faces greeted him and he had no idea what their names were. A couple of these guys he'd known since kindergarten but never really talked to. Even though Leon was the new guy, Cloud felt like the outsider. Eric was really cool to him and spoke to him throughout the evening and Ryan was alright but Cloud didn't make too much of an effort to speak to the others. He stuck with Leon who seemed to be absorbed in the game, glancing back at Cloud every now and again with a jaded expression.

When it was Cloud's turn to take a shot he could feel Leon's eyes on him intently. It put all that much more pressure on him not to mess up and when he sunk a ball on his first shot he couldn't help his reaction to look up and smile at the brunet. Leon's eyes were already on him and he nodded to show his silent praise.

It was a really close game between Eric and Ryan and Cloud and Leon but Leon managed to sink the eight ball first, earning them a win. Eric and Ryan handed their pool cues to the other two guys waiting to play as Leon racked up the balls for game two. Eric stuck close by to chat with Leon.

"Your win; your break." one of the other guys said to Cloud, motioning towards the balls.

Cloud bit his lower lip and looked over at Leon, who seemed to be able to sense his distress, looking back over at the blond.

"It's yours," the brunet said, tilting his head.

"I - umm…" Cloud didn't really want to break in front of the others but he wasn't about to beg Leon to take it for him either. He half glared at Leon before leaning over the table to aim his shot. Leon didn't seem interested in what Eric was saying anymore as he watched Cloud aim before taking the shot.

The balls broke apart and traveled across the table, a solid sinking in the process. Cloud fought the urge to grin at Leon as he searched the table for his next shot. He liked to imagine that Leon was proud of him, even though this was a small, meaningless accomplishment.

In a way, Cloud was a little put off that Eric hung around Leon when he wasn't playing himself. He knew he had no right to feel that way about Eric but he wanted Leon to focus on him when they played. Selfish, yes, but he still felt a little insecure about being surrounded by people he barely knew doing something he hardly knew how to do. When it was just Leon and him things were perfect. He couldn't remember having a better time in his life but now Eric always had something to tell Leon and would pull him into a conversation, even while Leon took his shots.

Jealousy was an ugly thing and Cloud hated himself for feeling it. He really felt like something was happening between him and Leon and wanted to know more instead of having the brunet constantly distracted by Eric. Teethers was a write off because Leon didn't know that it was a date spot. _Surely _Leon would have never wanted to go there had he known before he suggested it. Little hints here and there were suggesting that maybe Leon was having as much of a good time as he was himself. The words Leon chose when speaking to him, the contact he made without prompting, and whatever it was he was about to say before Eric and the others showed up… it made Cloud's heart swell and he wanted nothing more than to take Leon away and tell him everything.

Of course, that would be a stupid thing to do at a time like this. If Leon didn't feel the same way he would feel backed up in a corner and that might damage their friendship. Instead, Cloud tried to focus on the game instead, attempting to ignore the nagging feeling of annoyance as Eric began a brand new conversation with Leon at every available moment.

It was another close game and it was Cloud's shot, only the eight ball remaining on the table. It was sort of at an awkward position and Cloud scanned the possible shots he had to win this game for him and Leon.

He looked up at Leon to find the brunet watching him with contented eyes. Eric was still chatting away beside him before he stopped when the brunet lifted his hand and walked over to where Cloud was standing.

"What are you thinking?" Leon asked him when he drew close enough.

Cloud bit his lower lip and glanced down at the table. What was he thinking, indeed… But the blond knew that's not what Leon had meant.

Cloud pointed his cue to the corner right pocket before looking back at Leon. Leon nodded before taking a step back. "You'll need to bank it off the left edge to make that angle. Aim low on the cue." he offered. "Good luck."

Cloud sighed to himself before moving to the other side of the table to aim his shot. He lowered his shoulder and spread his legs slightly before taking aim. He aimed low and tried to imagine where the eight ball would go after the shot before he took it. He held his breath as he watched the ball bounce off one edge and travel towards the pocket. It traveled at a slow pace and looked as though it was going to stop before it made the pocket, giving an easy win to the others. He continued to hold his breath until the eight ball sank. He tried his hardest not to jump up and down.

The other two boys pouted playfully before handing over their sticks to two others who were waiting. Leon made his way around the table and put his hand on Cloud's lower back.

"Nice shot."

Cloud looked over at Leon with a wide smile, eyes radiating excitement. "Thanks."

Leon nodded before removing his hand, looking over at the others. "Wanna give the other two our game and grab a drink?"

At those words Cloud's mouth dried up and he felt almost numb. All of a sudden he was incredibly nervous and couldn't figure out why. "Sure," he answered automatically as Leon took the cue out of his hand and walked over to the other guys.

Cloud watched him move as he tried to reorganize his thoughts. He scolded himself for being so pathetic; why would he have such a reaction to Leon wanting to get a drink? This could be the opportunity to ask Leon about what he was about to say earlier. And there it was… the reason why Cloud was so nervous. The thought made his heart jump into his throat as he watched Leon make his way back to him and, oh Gaia, those eyes were watching him with every step.

"C'mon," Leon said as he took Cloud's elbow in his hand, guiding him towards the bar. As they got closer Leon asked Cloud what he drank.

"We're underage…" Cloud responded, confused. He was assuming they were getting a pop or something.

Leon pinched Cloud's arm before dropping his hand to his side. "Not something to advertise, Cloud…"

"Oh," the blond responded dumbly. Hey, if they weren't going to ID them then why shouldn't they have a drink? "Whatever you're having, I guess. I really don't know."

Leon nodded before taking a seat at the bar, Cloud taking the seat next to him. "The guys brought beer for later so we'll stick with that." Leon said, leaning forward on the bar to catch the bartender's attention. He ordered two beers and dropped cash on the surface, the bartender not even giving them a second look as he brought them their drinks.

"Are you having fun?" Leon asked after his first sip, watching Cloud experiment with his.

Cloud looked up at Leon with a wide smile. "I am. I'm having a really great time." He took his first sip and put his glass down. "Are you?"

Leon's eyes watched Cloud's expression intently before he nodded. "Yeah. You're getting really good at pool, you know."

Cloud snorted and shook his head. "I have a ways to go."

"From not being about to break to winning our game; I think you're doing pretty well for yourself." Leon responded, taking another sip.

Cloud smiled and looked back at his drink. He took another sip to buy him a little more time before responding. "I have a good teacher."

Leon's eyes roamed over the blond's features before settling on his eyes. Cloud's eyes were still diverted which gave him an opportunity to stare without looking too obvious. The blond seemed a little nervous. "Is everything okay?"

Cloud's eyes swept up to meet his own. "I'm fine; why do you ask?"

"You seem like there's something bothering you," Leon explained. "Or that you're nervous about something."

Cloud thought about this for a moment. He wondered if he should bring up the almost-conversation before Eric interrupted them. That thought made his stomach twist and he wasn't sure why. Was it anticipation or anxiety? Either way, Cloud wanted to ask him about it.

"It's just awkward being around people I don't really know." the blond blurted out without thinking. That's _not_ what he'd meant to say… "I mean, people I've seen almost everyday since kindergarten and never really spoke to."

Leon nodded and took another sip from his glass. "We'll stick together, you and I."

Cloud smiled before trying to hide it with another sip from his beer. Those words made him feel immensely better but it still wasn't what he wanted to hear. He wanted to know what Leon was about to say earlier.

"That – there…" Leon started, putting down his glass and motioning towards Cloud's face. "I want to know what that means; that look you just gave."

Cloud looked up at Leon and tilted his head. _Oh shit…_ The brunet was observant when it came to reading facial expressions, apparently. "How am I supposed to tell you when I don't know what face I was making?" Cloud asked coolly.

Leon's lips tightened and he turned himself on the chair so he was facing Cloud. "Just tell me what you were just thinking about."

"I was curious…" Cloud started, wondering if he could actually get the words out. He took a deep breath before shaking his head. He was being such a wuss. "I was just thinking about what you were about to say to me before Eric and the others arrived." He watched Leon's face; it remained expressionless but he swore blue-gray eyes flickered with something unfamiliar before returning to normal. Cloud felt the need to recover so Leon didn't feel awkward. "It just looked important and I thought you could tell me now… I mean, if you wanted to and… uhh… you know…" He backhanded himself in his mind for being the complete opposite of graceful.

"What I was about to say before…" Leon said, looking back at his glass. "It's really not that important right now."

"Doesn't matter," Cloud said a little too enthusiastically. Now that they were on the topic, thanks to Cloud's bumbling ramble, the blond was eager to know what was on Leon's mind. Again, he felt that maybe he was setting himself up for a major disappointment but he didn't care anymore. The suspense was eating him alive. "It doesn't have to be important."

Leon pursed his lips before taking another sip from his beer. "Don't worry about it right now." Leon licked his lips before looking back at the blond. "I'd rather wait until we have more time. We might be interrupted again."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Eric doesn't seem to want to let you go…" he mumbled under his breath, startling himself with how loud it actually came out.

"What?" Leon furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Cloud shook his head and tried an easy smile. He didn't know if it worked or not. "He's just talkative." He was proud of his recovery.

"I guess you're right." Leon's voice was low which caused Cloud to watch him attentively. The blond couldn't shake the feeling that Leon was on the verge of saying something but the longer he waited, the more he figured he was reading too much into Leon's whole disposition. It's not like Leon was the easiest person to read in the world.

Cloud was searching for something to say when Eric came up behind them and draped an arm around each of their shoulders. "Whatcha guys talking about?" he asked playfully, looking from Leon to Cloud then back to Leon again.

Leon looked up at Cloud with unreadable eyes.

"Pool," Cloud answered on their behalf. "I'm still learning and Leon's been teaching me."

"Really?" Eric smiled, taking the seat next to Cloud. "I would have never guessed by the way you play."

Cloud narrowed his eyes and tried to hide his frown. "He's a good teacher; I'm just new..."

Eric chuckled and clapped Cloud on the back, unaware of the bruise he had just struck. The blond flinched at the sudden pain but tried to hide his reaction. "I didn't mean you aren't playing well; I meant you play pretty good. I wouldn't have guessed that you're still learning." Eric didn't seem to notice but it didn't get by Leon.

Leon stood up from his hair and stood behind Cloud. He placed his palm against the bruise on Cloud's back, unknown to Eric, and rubbed it softly. "Cloud and I challenge you and a partner of your choice to a game. The winner takes fifty."

Eric grinned up at Leon as Cloud looked up over his shoulder at the brunet. He wasn't sure what to think right now. Leon's gentle ministrations against his back felt so good and he swore he was melting into his seat. On the other hand, did Leon just enter him into a challenge for cash?

Leon looked down at Cloud, hand continuing to move over the bruise in a way that caused the blond to shiver, something else that Leon didn't miss. "You okay with that?"

"Yeah," Cloud said lowly, trying to keep his eyes from fluttering.

"You're on!" Eric laughed, getting up from his seat. Leon's hand dropped from Cloud's back immediately. "Next table is ours."

Eric grabbed Leon and Cloud by the wrist and pulled them from the bar towards a table where two of the other guys were finishing up a game. He told a guy named Tom that they were going to play for money and Tom laughed at Leon and Cloud. "You sure about that? Have you been watching me play?"

The four boys began their game, Leon offering Eric the opportunity to break, saying that they're going to need a leg up if they wanted a chance to win. Cloud really wished he would stop talking up their game since he wasn't sure he could live up to it but decided this was all in fun anyhow. He just didn't want to make a fool of himself.

Leon and Eric each gave one of the other boys fifty each, telling him to hold onto it and give it to the winner. Cloud watched Eric move around the table aiming for his next shot before looking over at Leon. Leon was watching the game intently, eyes roaming over the table. Cloud didn't know what to think about what had just happened at the bar. It was one more thing to torture his confused mind regarding Leon and what was happening between them.

When it was Leon's turn to shoot, Cloud searched the table for a shot as well before noticing Leon observing an awkward shot against the edge of the table.

"Can you shoot left?" Cloud asked, wondering how he was considering taking that shot seeing how he normally shot right.

"No," Leon answered, not looking up from the table. Leon leaned down close and searched for the best angle before standing up straight again.

"Then how-" Cloud was silenced as Leon lifted a hand before looking at the blond.

"Watch me," he said lightheartedly before leaning backwards against the table.

Cloud felt his mouth go dry again as Leon leaned back, supporting himself with his arms behind his back, the cue stick aiming at the awkwardly placed ball. Cloud saw people do that before but he never saw it look so good. Leon arched his back slightly as his eyes watched his aim, exposing his neck in the process. Cloud wanted nothing more than to-

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud snap as Leon took his shot, remaining propped up on the table until the ball sunk into the pocket. Cloud couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

"Nice shot!" Eric beamed.

_Nice… something…_ Cloud thought to himself. His mouth was still dry.

Leon and Cloud ended up winning the game. With Leon pulling shots like that, it wasn't all that close and Cloud was grateful he didn't end up losing it for them. Eric was pleased with the way Leon played and asked him if he would teach him to play like that. Cloud felt jealous again at the thought of Leon leaning over Eric as he did to him, teaching him how to aim, touching his hands… He _really_ needed to settle down.

A few games later the boys decided to head out to the park and 'get their drink on'. Leon paid for the tables saying that Eric had already bought beer for him and Cloud and really, it was Eric's money that was paying for the games anyhow. Cloud adored how easy going Leon was in a social situation. The boys climbed into cars some of the guys brought and headed towards the park.

It was dark out now and Cloud followed Leon as they made their way towards the empty, quiet park. Some of the guys immediately began running towards the structures as they came into view and the rest hung back to grab a drink before going off to play childishly. Leon and Cloud hung back. Cloud still wasn't comfortable completely letting go of his inhibitions around these guys.

Eric passed Leon and Cloud a beer before sitting down on a bench. "How are you liking things so far?" he asked Leon before taking a swig from his bottle.

Leon looked at the other guys before taking a sip himself. "Its alright." he answered nonchalantly.

"Better than Balamb?" Eric continued to pry.

"It's nice here. Nice people." Leon answered. Cloud could tell he really didn't want to talk about himself right now.

"Do you miss your family?" Eric asked. He, apparently, was full of questions.

"Want to go on the monkey dome?" Cloud cut in with his own question, deflecting the focus from Leon for Leon's sake.

Leon looked over at Cloud with peaceful eyes before nodding. Eric chuckled and launched up off the bench. The three boys were followed by two others to join a few more who were hanging upside down off the top of the dome. Eric laughed as he climbed to the top and unhooked Ryan's legs from the bars, sending him to the ground.

Leon climbed to the top with Eric, Cloud close behind him as the others pulled themselves up.

"We heard about that fight you got into with Tony in the caf yesterday." one of the boys commented as everybody got settled. "What was that all about?"

Leon shrugged before taking a sip from his bottle. "He pissed me off."

"What did he say?" another boy asked, tossing his empty bottle down to someone else who tossed a full one back up.

"He just… pissed me off…" Leon responded, catching another beer that was tossed up to him.

"You got into it too, ya?" Eric asked Cloud, a smile playing across his lips. "Did he do that to you?" He motioned to Cloud's bruised jaw.

Cloud unconsciously licked his lower lip before nodding. "Yeah, but not in that fight."

"You two fight a lot." one of the boys commented. "I see you two and a few of his friends sporting bruises and cuts all the time."

Cloud shrugged before looking down at someone tugging on his pant leg before catching a fresh beer. "He doesn't know when to shut his mouth." the blond said, dropping his empty back down.

"You two used to date before, right?" Eric asked, taking a sip.

Leon's eyes went wide before he whipped his head over to look at Cloud. Cloud tried hard not to meet his eyes but he couldn't help it. For once, Leon looked positively shocked before his eyes went back to normal. Cloud hated Eric right now for bringing that up. It wasn't something he liked to think about and by no means was he ready to let Leon in on that piece of information.

"Once upon a time…" Cloud said lowly, letting his eyes drop to the bars. "But it was no fairy tale."

"That guy's a prick," Ryan said as he climbed to the top of the dome with the others. "You're better off without him."

"No need to tell me that..." Cloud said, voice barely over a whisper.

Leon was still staring at Cloud. Although his expression was back to nonresponsive Cloud could still see that he was more than a little shocked to learn about him and Tony.

"Did you ever sleep with him?" Eric asked next causing Leon's head to turn towards him before looking back at Cloud.

"No!" Cloud said, not able to stop his tone of disgust. "No, nothing like that."

"If you did, that would have explained why he's such an ass towards you now." Eric commented. "I don't mean to be nosy but I just can't understand that guy."

Leon's eyes narrowed as he looked away from Cloud down at his beer.

"What about you, Leon?" Eric asked next. "You leave anyone special back at home?"

That question drew Cloud's attention immediately and he hated himself for looking up at Leon for an answer. Leon started to shake his head before he stopped and looked up at Eric. "No, not really."

"Not really, but sort of?" Eric pressed, unaware of how uncomfortable Cloud and Leon were at the moment.

"Nothing like that." Leon responded. Cloud imagined how hard it might have been to not look at him at that moment, but that was only speculation.

"Ah, fuck buddies." Eric grinned, looking back at a few others. "It's the way to go."

Leon looked up at Eric ad looked as though he was about to say something before the other boys joined in the conversation.

"You know Jenn from school, ya?" one of them said, earning a few shocked expressions from the others before he nodded. "Yeah… that's what I'm talking about."

"I need me one of those," another guy said before grinning at the others.

"You've never been with anyone though." another said to the former. "Why don't you save it for when you fall in love?" A few shook their heads as others nodded.

"Don't you want some experience before your wedding night?"

"If it happens, it happens." another responded with a shrug.

"Are you a virgin?" one asked Leon.

Leon was in the middle of a sip of beer before shaking his head. Cloud's heart froze up in his chest and he couldn't believe the pain he felt. Leon had been with someone before? The thought made him dizzy and he fought to regain control before he fell off the bars.

To be fair, it's not like Cloud owned Leon, let alone was dating him. Leon had a past and Cloud would be foolish to think that he wouldn't have before he came here. To look at the guy was enough to tell you that he caught a few eyes back home. Thinking about it made his head spin.

"What about you?" Eric asked Cloud, drawing the blond from his inner turmoil.

"Hmm? Oh…" Cloud felt stupid for spacing out in the middle of the conversation. "I've never slept with anyone, no." He was surprised with the ease in which that came out. The beer was starting to take effect. It was his first time drinking as well so he wasn't surprised that he was already buzzed.

He could feel Leon's gaze on him; he ignored it as he dropped his empty bottle down, a full one shooting up from the conversation below. He really didn't want to look at Leon right now. He wasn't sure what Leon thought of him. He had just learned two pieces of information about Cloud that the blond did not expect to reveal at a time like this and he wasn't sure if he was ashamed about the Tony and virginity thing or shocked about Leon's lack thereof.

This all renewed the jealousy Cloud felt from earlier when he was back at home. Who _was _this little bitch and he wanted to know what happened between them. He kept his eyes from Leon as the others launched into another conversation knowing that Leon had his eyes on him again. It was hard not to look back at him so he focused on his beer and began peeling the label.

It wasn't long before the group became a little more loud and rambunctious due to the alcohol. Play fights broke out in the sand and others started playing tag along the structure. Even Leon seemed to be more at ease after their more-than-uncomfortable conversation and soon him, Cloud, Eric, and a few others on the monkey dome began their own little competition.

They all hung upside down and waited for the others to drop so they could be the 'king monkey'. A few dropped off early complaining that the blood and alcohol rushing to their head was too much. After a long while it was Ryan, Leon, and Cloud left. Cloud was comfortable, ignoring the pounding in his temples as he looked over to the other two.

Leon looked back at him before twisting around and looked at Ryan.

"Had enough?" the brunet asked as Ryan rubbed his temples.

"Fat chance, pretty boy!" Ryan chuckled back.

Leon stretched his arms before twisting around fully and grabbing Ryan's arms, tugging on them until Ryan dropped to the ground.

"You cheated!" Ryan laughed from the ground. "I am _so_ going for Cloud now."

Leon twisted back into his original position and looked at Cloud. "Had enough?" he asked again.

Cloud's eyes went wide before he broke out into a smile. "Don't you dare…"

The corners of Leon's mouth twitched as he swung forward, grabbing at Cloud's arms. Cloud batted them away as he tried to sway away from the brunet.

"I said don't you dare!" Cloud giggled as Leon made another attempt at grabbing onto him.

"Your face is turning red; I'm trying to do you a favour." Leon commented before grasping one of Cloud's wrists and pulling him closer.

"Hang on, Cloud!" Ryan cheered from the ground. "Take him down yourself!"

Cloud grinned at Leon before pulling himself up slightly and reaching for Leon's legs wrapped around the bar.

"Oh, no you don't…" Leon mocked, tugging on Cloud's wrist to pull him back down. "C'mere…" He tugged on Cloud's wrist again and pulled the blond closer to his own body, Cloud struggling against his strength. He could feel his legs slipping slightly and he decided to resort to drastic measures.

"Fat chance, pretty boy!" Cloud imitated Ryan with a chuckle, crunching his stomach with all his strength to reach for Leon's legs again. He grabbed onto Leon's pant leg and tugged it as hard as he could hoping it would cause the brunet to slip.

It worked and before he realized Leon was going down, he felt a sharp tug on his wrist causing himself to slip as well. He hit the sand with an 'oomph' before realizing he really didn't hit the sand. He was sprawled out on top of Leon, their bodies perfectly aligned together with the brunet looking up at him with a playful glare. He was gorgeous and Cloud could imagine himself leaning down and kissing him at that moment. Those eyes, that complexion, those lips…

Cloud lifted his upper half with his arms before shaking his head. "I think you hit the ground first," he said with a smug smile before getting up off of Leon. Really, he would have been perfectly happy to stay that way but he didn't want things to become too awkward between them. The other guys were laughing at them anyhow so he really couldn't stay down.

He was dubbed king monkey by the others as Leon got up off the ground, shaking the sand from himself before watching the mini celebration. Cloud's smile was so damn happy.

Hours passed with boyish games before they decided to call it a night. Cloud was having a lot of fun but the park wouldn't stop spinning so he thought it was probably as good of a time as ever to go home. A few of the sober guys packed their cars with the cases of now empty beer before others started piling into the car. Cloud grinned at Leon who was watching the others before he looked back at Cloud.

"You wanna walk with me?" the brunet asked lowly, earning a smile from the blond.

"Sure," Cloud answered before Leon walked over to Eric. He told them that he and Cloud were going to walk. The others all shouted their goodbyes and waved from the cars as they took off, leaving Cloud and Leon alone.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Leon asked as they began their walk home.

Cloud giggled and nodded his head. "Yeah, but I think I drank too much."

"You need to be sick?" Leon asked, taking Cloud's arm in his own as he stopped walking.

"No!" Cloud said, scrunching up his nose. "I'm just… spinning?" The blond looked around at the trees then shook his head. "No, the park is spinning."

Leon pursed his lips before starting to walk again, letting go of Cloud's arm. "I'm glad you had fun."

"Didn't you have fun?" Cloud asked before chuckling at the word 'you'. It sounded funny to him at the moment.

"Had a great time, actually." Leon responded, watching the blond mouth the word 'you' a few times before shaking his head. "You're wasted."

Cloud pursed his lips and grinned at Leon. "Maybe a little."

"_Maybe_… right." Leon shook his head in amusement as he led Cloud down another street. "I don't think it's a good idea that you go home tonight."

Cloud looked up at Leon, grin fading from his lips before he narrowed his eyes. "I'll be fine."

Leon shook his head again as Cloud hopped up on the curb and tried to walk along it. His balance was a little off so Leon offered his hand for support, Cloud taking it with a renewed smile.

"I just think it would be better if you weren't around your mother when you're like this." Leon offered next, steadying Cloud as he almost stumbled. "I know you probably will be okay, but I'd sleep better _knowing_ that you were alright."

"You just want to take me home drunk," Cloud teased as he tried to focus on the curb in front of him. He squeezed Leon's hand lightly as he moved one foot in front of the other.

"Oh, well there's that too." Leon joked, tightening his lips to keep himself from smiling. "I promise not to molest you when you're drunk."

"And when you're sober?" Cloud asked, grinning before staggering off the curb, not letting go of Leon's hand after he regained his balance.

"I make no promises there." Leon joked, lips twitching at how bold Cloud could be when he had no inhibitions.

"You wouldn't. You like girls." Cloud said, momentarily distracted by a twinkling star. "I'm not your type."

Leon looked forward at the road ahead and gripped Cloud's hand a little more tightly. The blond almost tripped over his own two feet again before giggling and saying something about the damn star tripping him.

"You don't know what my type is." Leon said after Cloud seemed to have regained his balance.

"You told Tony you weren't gay." Cloud recounted, watching the road in front of him. "That means I'm not your type."

Leon's lips twitched again at the mention of Tony. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Cloud's hand again before easing the tension. "Okay, drunky. Whatever you say."

Cloud giggled and squeezed Leon's hand. He couldn't believe they were walking down the road on a starry night, hand in hand. Leon was being so nice to him. He was grateful that he was taking care of him even though he must have been a little upset about Cloud hiding the fact that Tony and he used to be an item.

Leon was such a good friend and it almost made Cloud feel bad for thinking about him in a different way. He really cared about the brunet and no matter what, he told himself, he was not going to fuck this up. With that thought, Cloud hugged Leon's arm with his other hand and laid his head against the brunet's shoulder. He thought he felt Leon's head against his briefly but he couldn't be certain of anything at the moment. He moaned slightly in contentment as the night continued spinning.

_Not going to fuck this up…_

-o-o-o-

*knowing cackle*

I'll try not to take too long before posting the next chapter but I make no promises at this point. Once my training is done and I get into routine I should be able to find a little time when I can write undisturbed. At the risk of sounding like a recorded phone-hold message: I appreciate your patience. Please hold until the next chapter becomes available. :o)


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I wanted to wait until I had the next after this completed before posting this one but decided you guys have waited long enough. I'm just hoping that the next chapter comes along. Because of this, I can't say when it'll be done but just know that I'm trying.

To all of you super-wonderful reviewers, I'm so sorry that I haven't been responding to your reviews but I PROMISE that I will get around to it. I love you all! XoXo

Heh, so here's the next chapter. Enjoy! (Oh, pleeease enjoy!)

-o-o-o-

The next morning Cloud woke up with a killer headache. He kept his eyes closed once he woke in fear that the morning sunlight would make his head throb more than it already did. He didn't remember a whole lot about the night before, only that he had one hell of a time. He recalled how Leon taught him how to play pool, the thought causing him to snuggle against the blankets. He was so comfortable, other than the pounding in his head. He couldn't remember feeling so comfortable before in his bed. A pleasant scent surrounded him as he snuggled deeper. He felt nice and warm… relaxed… held…

_Held?_ Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and chanced a peek at the new morning, confused as to why the sunshine wasn't causing his head to throb. It was dark; something blocking the light from the window. Cloud's heart froze up in his chest to find that it was Leon blocking the sun from his face. His body stilled as he opened his eyes a little wider. He was warm because his body was curled up against Leon's. He was surrounded by Leon's scent because his face was practically buried in the brunet's chest. He was comfortable, held, because Leon's body was wrapped around his, their bodies facing one another in a very intimate position. His arm was around Leon and Leon's arm was holding him close. Cloud's legs were trapped between Leon's as the brunet also used those to keep him near.

Cloud didn't want to move in case he woke Leon. What would Leon say if he found Cloud watching him sleep as they held one another underneath the covers? Cloud took a deep breath before looking around the room for nothing in particular. He was close to panicking and willed himself to stay calm as another thought entered his mind.

Cloud lifted his arm as much as he could under the weight of Leon's without disturbing the brunet as he peered down under the covers. He let out a sigh of relief to find both of them still in the clothes they wore the night before. At least he didn't push anything stupid when he was drunk. Leon would surely have killed him if he woke up finding himself and the blond naked, holding each other. That made him feel a little better but he was still at a loss of what to do. Leon was straight, not into guys, and if he woke up to find them like this he might just pull the plug on their friendship. It would be awkward.

Cloud tried to move one of his legs but the brunet had him in one hell of a hold. Leon flinched slightly before tightening his hold on Cloud before falling back into his peaceful sleep. The blond couldn't help but feel a little good about the way he woke up, though. It felt really nice to feel Leon's warmth, smell his scent, to be this close to his body. Cloud relaxed again into the embrace as a small smile crept across his lips. It felt almost too good. He moved his fingers that were resting against Leon's back a bit and felt the firm muscle under his skin. He was mesmerized by the thought of touching the brunet before his body began to respond more than inappropriately, causing the blond's fingers to still immediately. He didn't know how Leon would respond to waking up in this position; he didn't need a hard-on to make things worse.

Cloud closed his eyes again and gently shuffled back into the position he woke up in. He buried his face back against the brunet's chest and inhaled that intoxicating scent, smiling wider as it caused shivers to run down his spine. He tried to remember last night but most of the details evaded him after a certain point. He did remember those eyes watching him, though; how captivated he was whenever Leon would look at him; how paralyzed he was when Leon gently rubbed his back after Eric accidently hit his bruise. That thought caused him to unconsciously stroke Leon's spine again with the tips of his fingers. He hadn't realized he was doing it until the brunet let out a soft, contented moan in his sleep. His smile widened before he realized that his body was responding again. He was thinking about things that made his body stir with an excitement he had no right to feel at a moment like this. Cloud bit his lower lip; he would blame this one on Leon since it was his moan that set his body off, never mind what caused him to moan in the first place.

Cloud must have fallen asleep again because when his eyes fluttered open the image of Leon slowly disappeared only to be replaced with the real thing. They were still cooped up in their warm embrace when Cloud came to, the blond letting out a soft moan as he looked up to find blue-gray eyes looking back down at him softly. This startled him beyond any measure as he flinched and went to sit up, not making it too far as Leon didn't move his arm or legs. He settled back down into the pillow and looked over at Leon again, whose eyes shifted from the soft contented look back to their usual expressionless selves. This confused the blond since Leon still wasn't moving his body from his own, but kept him in his arms as he watched the blond struggle with what to do next.

"Morning," the brunet whispered, causing Cloud to shiver slightly.

"Hi," Cloud said back just as quietly, only now realizing that he was hard as a rock. He blushed as he tried to feel whether any part of _that_ was up against any part of Leon. He was relieved to discover that in their position Leon wouldn't be able to feel it.

"How are you feeling?" Leon asked, eyes watching the blond intently.

Cloud couldn't bring himself to look up at Leon. He didn't know what to think right now. Leon wasn't pulling away but kept Cloud close to his body. His eyes suggested that everything was normal but waking up in the arms of your friend, who is straight mind you, after getting completely hosed the night before and trying to secretly ease down your hard-on was anything but normal. He'd kill to know what Leon was thinking at this moment. Oh yeah, he was wondering how he felt…

"I'm fine," Cloud winced at those words as they were so overplayed in his life. He didn't know what else to say.

"You're flushed," Leon said, narrowing his eyes slightly, unseen by the blond.

Cloud licked his lips before closing his eyes again. As much as he wanted to look back at Leon right now, he didn't think that would help his situation at the moment. "Head hurts…" Cloud offered hoping that was a believable excuse. He drank a lot the night before - of course it was a believable excuse.

Leon sighed deeply before he removed his arm from around Cloud causing the blond to involuntarily moan with disappointment. Cloud squeezed his eyes shut and demanded that he regain control over himself this very instant.

If Leon heard him, he didn't respond. Instead, he unhooked his legs from around the blond's and sat up in bed. Cloud opened his eyes at the movement and watched as Leon stood up, stretching like some exotic god before looking back down at him.

"Stay here. I'll get you something for your head."

"I'm not going anywhere…" Cloud mumbled as he threw the covers over his head hiding from the bright light from the window.

He heard Leon move across the room before the blinds were drawn, blocking out most of the light before heading towards his en-suite bathroom. When he came back he gently pulled the covers from Cloud's head and handed him a glass of water and two pills.

Cloud took the pills from Leon's hand and washed them down with the water before setting the glass on the bed table and flopping back down into the pillows with a mumbled 'thanks'.

Leon sat down on the bed beside Cloud and looked down at the blankets. "I suppose we have some laundry to air out?"

Cloud looked over at the brunet, heart pounding in his chest. Did he know about Cloud's _little problem_ that morning? Cloud could have sworn that Leon wouldn't have been able to feel that but now he wasn't so sure. "What do you mean?" he asked lowly, trying to keep his eyes from telling Leon what was going through his head.

Leon's lips tightened before he shifted so he was lying on his back beside Cloud, the space between them very noticeable to the blond. He placed his hands on his pillow under his head and looked up to the ceiling, not making any eye contact with the blond whatsoever. "You don't want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Cloud asked, feeling a spike of panic in his chest. He wasn't about to start this conversation even if his life depended on it just in case he was wrong.

"Last night," Leon said quietly. His eyes remained on the ceiling above.

Cloud bit his lower lip as his eyes diverted to the ceiling as well. _What the hell happened last night?!_ He couldn't help but sigh to relieve some of the tension building in his chest. Did he do something stupid when he was drunk? He couldn't remember a whole hell of a lot but he certainly didn't think he would have said anything _that_ stupid.

"You didn't tell me about Tony." Leon said, drawing Cloud from his thoughts. "I mean, I don't expect you to tell me everything about your personal life. I just thought that would have been something you would have mentioned to me considering the way he acts towards me and the fight I started."

Cloud tried to focus on one spot in particular on the ceiling but found his eyes darting around restlessly as he tried to come up with something to say. He noticed from his peripheral vision that Leon had turned his head to look at him but he couldn't bring himself to look back. Not yet.

"I'm sorry," the blond offered quietly, furrowing his eyebrows.

"That's not what I meant, Cloud." Leon said, turning to his side and resting his head against his hand, propped up on his pillow. "I don't want you to apologize because it was none of my business in the first place." He paused for a moment before continuing, watching the blond's every passing expression. "I just was surprised to find out, that's all."

Cloud licked his lips and tried to see past the pounding in his head. It would be easier to think if the throbbing would stop. "I'm sorry," he said again, knowing that's not what Leon wanted to hear but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Leon sighed and shook his head. "'Kay, from now on that word is no longer allowed to be used in my bedroom."

Cloud couldn't help a small smile from creeping up but tried to suppress it, knowing he failed even without looking at himself in a mirror.

"Cloud, listen… I don't want you to think I'm prying or that I expect you to tell me things. You didn't tell me because you didn't want to, but you understand why I was a little shocked to learn this, right?" Leon asked, his voice a little more than jaded as he spoke.

"Yeah, I can understand that. I just thought…" the blond paused for a moment as he collected his thoughts. "I don't know what I thought, Leon. I just didn't want you to think… less of me…"

Leon narrowed his eyes before reaching over and taking the blond's arm in his hand, turning him so Cloud was facing him. "Why would I think less of you for dating Tony?"

"Because he's an ass…" Cloud said trying not to frown as Leon removed his hand from his arm. "It's a complicated history and… I…" He didn't know what he wanted to say.

"It's okay to make mistakes, Cloud. We've all done them before." Leon said, noticing the blond struggling to not look at him. "I'd like to know what happened between you two, if you don't mind telling me." Cloud's frown deepened. Leon got more comfortable, placing his head on his pillow while watching the blond's inner struggle. "I won't judge you; I promise."

Cloud sighed and rubbed his eyes with his knuckles before dropping his arm. "I've known Tony since kindergarten. We were friends pretty much from day one." he started, eyes focusing on the wall over Leon's shoulder. "Throughout school we remained close, always hanging out at each other's houses and doing homework with one another. I guess you could say we were best friends."

Leon listened carefully to Cloud's words while watching for the emotion behind them on the blond's face. He wanted to remain quiet until Cloud was finished just in case the blond lost his nerve.

"When I… mmm… when I realized that I noticed guys instead of girls, Tony was alright with it. He was supportive enough and I didn't think that changed anything with our friendship. About a year ago we were doing homework at my place and he ended up kissing me unexpectedly. I was shocked since Tony never let on that he was like me, let alone that he liked me in that way." Cloud took a deep breath and paused to collect his thoughts again. "I guess I allowed it because not too many people knew about me and I had absolutely no experience when it came to… concerning… like, being with someone. I was intrigued so I kissed him back." Again, the blond paused for a moment before continuing. "We tried to keep our relationship, or 'special' friendship, or whatever a secret but a few people knew. We've never had sex but came close a few times before everything blew up in my face."

Leon could tell this part was hard to tell as the blond's expression turned to one of hurt and regret. Again, he tried to keep himself from asking any questions or commenting until Cloud was finished.

"One night we were… together… and things got heated up really fast before he just… stopped." Cloud took a deep breath and licked his lips. "He was looking down at me with confusion before he got up and walked to the other side of the room. I didn't know what to think so I asked him if he was alright." Cloud bit his lower lip before continuing. "He looked back at me with such hatred. I didn't understand what was going on… I didn't know what I did wrong. He glared at me before telling me that I corrupted him, or something; that he wasn't gay and I was a pervert for seducing him. I reminded him that he'd kissed me first and he started screaming at me, calling me every name in the book before storming out of my house."

Cloud looked down. "He didn't talk to me for days. He wouldn't even look at me in school; just completely avoided me. I didn't know if I should try and talk to him or leave him alone. After a few weeks I noticed that people were looking at me in a different way, whispering as I walked by. I was at my locker when Tony came up behind me with his new friends, announcing to everyone that I was… he told everyone that I was gay and to 'watch out' because I would try and sleep with anything that moves." Leon noticed the hurt in Cloud's face escalate. His voice was shaking slightly. "He punched me in front of everyone and started kicking me when I hit the ground. He said he was doing it to teach me a lesson. I didn't want to remind him that he'd kissed me first; it would only make things worse. He became the worst kind of homophobe: in denial. His friends supported him and from that day the other people at school other than Xander, Brantley, and Brad stayed away from me. They found me in the west wing locker bay one afternoon after Tony and his friends attacked me and ever since we've hung out at school. They don't give two shits about Tony.

"After a few more months of random attacks from Tony, I'd had enough. I started fighting back. In a way it was better since I could defend myself well enough and I didn't get as injured. On the other hand, it made Tony a lot angrier and his attacks have been coming more frequently and are a little more violent."

Cloud finally looked over at Leon, lips still forming a frown before he bit his lower lip. "And then you came."

Leon's eyes stayed with Cloud's as he watched the blond watch him. He waited for a moment to make sure Cloud was finished his story before he spoke. "What do you think the purpose behind these attacks are?"

"To prove that he's not gay, I guess." Cloud replied, voice still very low. "I suppose he was ashamed of being with me and he has to prove to himself and his friends that he's not gay." Cloud shook his head. "Then again, I'm only guessing. I don't know why for sure."

Leon registered a thought and wondered to himself whether it was a smart move; whether it was fair to Cloud. He decided to go with it anyhow and deal with his guilt afterwards.

"Why do you think he's focused on me right now, with his party and all?"

"He wants me to be miserable and now that you and I are friends he wants to take you away from me." Cloud's voice grew a little as he thought about it some more. "He doesn't want to see me with anyone else, I think, because of our past and he knows I like you and…" Cloud bit his tongue. _Oh shit…_

Had he been watching, Cloud would have seen Leon's eyes lighten with the admission although his expression remained unresponsive. He was successful, although he felt a little bad for making Cloud so uncomfortable. He decided to not press the issue for Cloud's sake. They'd get to that soon enough, he was sure.

"Did you love him?" Leon asked next, watching the blond's eyes dart to his own before dropping to the sheets. He knew that Cloud's mind was a jumbled mess of emotion right now.

"I don't think so," the blond answered lowly, seeming as though he was still reeling from his unplanned admission of liking Leon more than in the friendly manner. "I liked him but I never cried over him when everything blew apart." Cloud shook his head. "No, I didn't love him."

Leon nodded as he watched the tornado of emotions swirl through Cloud's eyes. They were so _damn_ much alike. Those eyes looked back at him with some form of determination.

"Have you ever been in love?" Cloud asked, hoping for an opportunity to move the spotlight onto Leon.

Leon's lips tightened briefly before he shook his head. "I don't believe in love."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, almost startled to hear that.

Leon sighed before shifting a little more comfortably onto his stomach, arms retreating under the pillow to prop it up for his head. "Love is… just so old fashioned. It's a label that comes with a bunch of rules that must be abided by or it's said that you aren't in love regardless of your feelings."

Cloud took a moment to respond. "I don't understand."

"Can you imagine something so consuming that it controls all of your actions? Like, if you're in love you think of nothing else except that other person; your heart throbs for that person and everything else in your entire world drops away when you're with them?"

Cloud could imagine that. He ran through Leon's words in his mind again and checked off 'all of the above'. "You don't believe in it because you've never felt it."

"Have you?" Leon asked. After a moment with no response he continued. "It's one thing to like someone, but I don't believe in this thing called 'love'. It's too cliché. It's something you read about or see in the movies. It never happens in real life; it's something people work towards and settle with a partner they like who comes closest to the euphoria they're supposed to feel."

"That's a bleak outlook on life…" Cloud commented, looking back up at Leon.

"It's reality, Cloud. People set themselves up for disappointment."

"You've never said the words 'I love you' to anyone before?" Cloud couldn't help but ask, thinking of this girl Leon had slept with. Girl or _girls. _Oh Gaia, he hoped for the former…

"No, and I never will. I'll never feel that mythical emotion people are so obsessed with."

Cloud bit his lower lip. "Then what about the people you've been with, like… physically? You didn't love them?"

Leon paused and took a deep breath. "I've only ever been with one person, and no, I didn't tell them that I_ loved _them."

Cloud inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn't fall for a former man-whore. "I told you about my past relationship; your turn to tell me about yours." He grinned as he watched Leon's eyes cloud over again as it always did when talking about his past.

"I…" he paused, not quite sure if he was willing to tell so much about himself with just one story. It would only be fair, but Cloud was cracking open a much larger nutshell than he was aware of. He took a deep breath, catching Cloud's eyes still on him before he looked back down to the sheets. Did he feel ready for this? Could he trust Cloud?

"I kinda feel bad for pushing…" Cloud admitted, watching Leon's silent struggle. "I'm sorry. You don't have to-"

"It was very similar to your own experience." Leon interrupted, eyes moving back up to meet baby blue. "In a way…"

Cloud snapped his mouth shut and watched Leon's eyes drift from cloudy to stormy. He was entranced by the brunet and there was no way he would be able to tear his eyes away as one word sunk in. _Similar…_ He didn't know what this meant and waited patiently in silence for clarification.

"We didn't attend the same school but our families were close so we grew up together." Leon started, searching for the right words. "I misled you by lying to Tony, I'm sorry; my friend's name was Seifer." Cloud's heart froze. "He and I never realized we liked one another until one day after school, I was over at his house and we just… kissed." Leon's eyes closed as he recounted what had happened.

"It was only a kiss that first day and I don't know who started it but the more we tried to deny it, the more we wanted to experiment. After a night of pool and drinks we stole from his father's liquor cabinet, we ended up in his room." He opened his eyes and watched Cloud's shocked expression attempt to turn into one of neutrality. "We were each other's first and the next morning… he freaked out, throwing me out of his house screaming that we were never to tell anyone about this or he'd kill me."

Leon shook his head before looking back down at the sheets. "He didn't hold up the end of his bargain. A week later my father came home enraged about what he had learned from Seifer's father. That was the falling out between my father and I that I told you about. Seifer never spoke to me again, his father avoided my father, and my father took it all out on me." His eyes roamed over Cloud's features again to find the blond's eyes holding so much sadness, welling up in tears as he listened quietly to Leon's story.

"Things got worse as time went by. My father became an alcoholic and started beating me more and more. We tried to avoid one another when he was sober but he always came at me with a belt or a tool of some sort when he was affected by the drink, calling me names and screaming at me until he passed out. After a few years, my school got involved and gave me a shot at a new life."

Cloud was silent for another moment before shaking his head. "My Gods…"

Leon looked up at Cloud with a jaded expression. "When I saw you, Cloud, it threw me back to when I was the one coming to school with evidence of a beating because of my sexuality. I was drawn to you because I saw myself in you. I didn't want you to end up like me." Leon reached over and brushed Cloud's bangs from his eyes.

Cloud frowned and looked down. Pity… he hated it. "I see…" was the only icy response he could manage. He felt a little angry that their friendship started in a state of pity.

"Which brings me to what I wanted to say to you at the pool hall." Leon said, noticing the hurt in Cloud's expression. Cloud didn't look up. "I wanted to protect you, even though you could handle yourself. I didn't think you should have to go at this alone. I want to be there for you because I… I like you."

Cloud's eyes shot up to the brunet's as he absorbed what Leon had just said. He didn't know what Leon was getting at. _Like me or like-like me? _He felt like he was in second grade again.

"I mean, I like you more than just a friend." Leon continued, holding Cloud's stare steadily. "I like you in the way I think you like me."

Cloud's eyes narrowed and he was afraid to react too much more. Defensively, he put the ball back in Leon's court. "How do you think I like you?" He was still a little on edge about this whole thing even though his heart pounded in his chest with excitement. He bit his lower lip to prevent himself from hyperventilating.

Leon frowned but kept his eyes on Cloud. "You're going to make this hard for me, aren't you?"

Cloud's eyes flickered and Leon guessed Cloud had thrown up his brick wall. He couldn't blame him since it took a lot of effort to lower his own wall enough to tell Cloud these things. He didn't feel ready to trust Cloud at this moment. Seifer had backstabbed him and he wasn't sure how Cloud would accept this new information. Right now, it didn't matter. He'd really grown to like Cloud a lot more than he thought he was capable of and he was willing to throw himself under a bus and hoped Cloud didn't break this trust.

"I suppose I am…" Cloud said, watching the power shift from Leon to himself. He felt bad for reacting this way. This was what he'd wanted to hear from the moment he laid eyed on Leon but now that it was happening, he was terrified.

"You wear your heart on your sleeve, Cloud…" Leon started. "And you talk in your sleep."

Cloud's eyes widened slightly before his mouth hung open as if he were about to say something. He remained quiet.

"I may be misreading you so please correct me if I'm wrong." Leon continued. "The way you look at me is how I wish I could allow myself to look at you. You lean into my touches and your body stills sometimes when I'm close." He watched Cloud's expression for a change so he could stop talking if he said the wrong thing. "You say my name when you sleep, sometimes as a sigh and your eyes watch me so intently sometimes that I feel like you're attempting to peer into my mind; you always seem so happy when I'm with you even when you're going through hell."

Cloud's expression remained in a state somewhere between shocked and ease. The weight of his secret feelings for Leon was replaced with that of exposure and fear.

"Last night when you drank more than I should have allowed you seemed so free with yourself." The brunet watched Cloud's eyes flicker from embarrassment to interest at the information Leon was telling him. "I somehow got to thinking that that was sort of our first date and it felt nice to hold your hand and help you walk… err… stumble home." Cloud chuckled and looked down at the sheets. "When you put your head on my shoulder, I couldn't help but place my head on yours and you moaned so quietly, so contently… that was my undoing. I couldn't hide my feelings for you any longer.

"When we came to bed you curled up to me immediately and passed out. I'm sorry if it was awkward when you woke, but I couldn't help but hold you. The moment I pulled you in my arms you snuggled against me, saying my name, and smiled so purely. Cloud, you asked me why I think you like me… It's because you do. You've shown it clear as day from the moment we met."

Cloud's eyes softened as he watched Leon wait for a response. He swore he saw anticipation and anxiety in those eyes and it make his heart throb against his ribs. "I had no idea I was so transparent…"

Leon's eyes lightened and the corners of his mouth twitched. "I'm glad you were. It made it so much easier to accept my own feelings for you."

For a moment both boys stared into one another's eyes before Cloud smiled softly. "And you like me the way I like you?"

"I do." Leon answered immediately, his velvet voice sending shivers down Cloud's spine.

Cloud's smile widened as his defenses slipped into nothingness. He tried to absorb all of this but it seemed too good to be true. "Where do we go from here?"

"Tell me what you want." Leon responded, his jaded disposition still in tact.

Cloud bit his lower lip and scanned Leon's eyes for any indication of what he felt. Even after everything that had been said that morning, Leon was still as hard to read as ever. "People know about me already. I don't want to put you in any position that would make you uncomfortable." the blond said, eyes portraying nothing but sincerity.

Leon sighed, heart swelling with appreciation. He wanted to smile but felt more comfortable keeping it to himself. "I don't care what people think about me."

Cloud smiled. "Are we open, then?"

Leon's eyes narrowed before he nodded. "I'd like that."

"Me too." Cloud's smile widened and he took a deep, calming breath. His head was spinning and he wondered what had happened to change his luck so drastically.

Leon pulled one of his hands from under his pillow and reached for the blond's, Cloud taking it and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Come here…" the brunet almost whispered, pulling his hand back with Cloud's towards his chest.

Cloud's heart felt like it was exploding and his body felt almost numb. He shifted closer to Leon as the brunet turned onto his back, still holding Cloud's hand against his heart. With his other hand, Leon reached over and ran his hand through Cloud's hair causing the blond's eyes to flutter before locking onto serene blue-gray. Leon moved his hand to cup Cloud's cheek before running his thumb over the blond's lips. Cloud stilled as he felt this motion and closed his eyes as his body shuddered in response.

He focused on the feeling of Leon's heart pounding against his hand that was resting on his chest. He felt it skip a beat before he felt soft, warm lips brush up against his own. He kept his eyes closed as Leon gently took his lips in a soft kiss, not forgetting to respond, and Cloud hummed and kissed the brunet back.

He couldn't believe this; this had to be a dream. Leon's lips moved against his in a slow, chaste kiss before the brunet lowered his head against the pillow, bringing Cloud's head down with his hand as to not break their kiss. Cloud followed willingly as he leaned up on an elbow and continued to kiss the guy of his dreams.

He knew he had goosebumps and he still couldn't control the subtle tremors cascading through his body which intensified as he felt Leon's tongue run over the seam of his mouth, requesting permission to deepen the kiss. Cloud was more than happy to oblige as he parted his lips slightly to allow the brunet access, humming once more as Leon's tongue licked his lips before finding his tongue.

Cloud felt hot all of a sudden, his body boiling as it felt like the temperature was climbing. He didn't care. This kiss felt so good as their tongues explored one another. Leon gave Cloud's hand a gently squeeze and his hand traveled from the blond's head to the base of his neck, keeping Cloud as close as possible as both boys lost themselves in their first kiss together.

Cloud, at some point, found himself almost panting into the kiss as the need for air suddenly became apparent. He tried to ignore that fact before he realized that Leon was experiencing the same thing. The brunet panted lightly against the kiss making Cloud's body respond; he sounded so good when he panted like that and Cloud couldn't help but deepen the kiss. He knew that he was starting to get hard for the second time that morning and he wondered how far he wanted to go with Leon at this point.

Leon made it easy for him as he pulled back from the kiss slightly, effectively breaking the kiss and panted against Cloud's lips, and Cloud doing the same as he drew in air. With each soft breath, Leon placed short wet kisses against Cloud's lips setting the blond's body ablaze. Cloud attempted to match Leon's little kisses but his mind was far too gone. He still kissed Leon's lips as he regained his breath before the brunet moaned from under him and recaptured his lips in another searing, passionate one.

Cloud couldn't help but moan into Leon's mouth as Leon' tongue reentered his mouth, roaming freely and memorizing each contour. Their bodies shifted at some point and were pressed up against one another, on their sides, as Leon let Cloud's hand go and wrapped his arms around the lean frame and pulled him against his own body. Cloud wrapped his arms around Leon in response and pressed up against him, feeling Leon's excitement against his own, before the brunet let out a throaty groan and broke the kiss, resting his head against the blond's.

Both boys fought to catch their breath again before Leon looked up into baby blue. His eyes were swirling with an unfamiliar storm that Cloud had never seen before.

"I really like you, Cloud." Leon panted, running his hand over the blond's shoulder blade. "I want to take this a little slower…"

Cloud almost purred at Leon's hand on his back and smiled. "I think that's a good idea."

Leon's eyes watched Cloud's before the storm subsided slightly and he pulled Cloud in closer, resting his head on top of the blond's. His hand moved through Cloud's hair in a calming manner before turning over onto his back, pulling Cloud to rest upon his chest.

"Oh Gods…" Leon said quietly, hand still running through Cloud's hair.

Cloud looked up at Leon and bit his lower lip. "Are you alright?"

Leon looked down at the blond, eyes as peaceful as Cloud had ever seen. "I'm fine. Just a little worked up right now."

Cloud grinned at Leon before resting his head on his chest again, Leon's hands going back to stroking his head gently. He thought about what had just happened and he had to admit that he was pretty worked up himself right now. When he pressed up against Leon before they broke their kiss he felt a surge of excitement he'd never felt before. Feeling Leon against himself caused him to feel so much more than he had ever felt before. He had done things with Tony but those times couldn't hold a flame to the arousal he was feeling right now, and this was caused simply by a kiss.

He sighed against Leon's chest and looked down. Leon wasn't lying when he said he was worked up. Cloud could feel Leon's hardness against himself and still, while looking down, Cloud could see a rather uncomfortable looking strain in Leon's pants. He closed his eyes, telling himself that he would never calm down while looking and thinking of those things.

Leon took a deep breath and tugged on a lock of Cloud's hair. "You hungry?"

Nice distraction…

"Yeah," Cloud lied. Really, he wasn't feeling up to food at the moment after how much he drank the night before but he knew his body would never settle down while lying in bed with Leon.

"Let me make you something." Leon said as Cloud sat up.

"Let me help." Cloud said with a soft smile.

The corners of Leon's lips twitched before he leaned in for another kiss, this time keeping it short and chaste before he made to get up. He turned around to face the blond, offering his hand. Cloud took it as he was pulled from the bed and wrapped in Leon's arms.

Leon kissed the top of Cloud's head before taking in his scent. "Open, ya?"

Cloud smiled against Leon's chest. He could hear Zell and Irvine in the kitchen. "Open."

Leon tilted Cloud's head up with one finger and kissed him lightly. "Sounds good."

-o-o-o-

*has her own little fangirl moment*

Please review? They make me so damn happy!


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: Okay, so a little longer than expected to write this chapter. It was written in 15-20 minute intervals when I found a free moment here and there so I'm sorry if it doesn't flow like the rest. I also felt, while writing this chapter, that it is more of a filler chapter. I'm sorry if it's not up to standards and I hope to remedy that with the next, but until I find time to actually write that chapter please feel free to drop me a review? Enjoy!

-o-o-o-

Cloud followed Leon out of his room, a pace behind, watching in awe as the brunet led them to the kitchen. He couldn't get over what had just happened; his dream had come true. He never considered himself to be a romantic but he always dreamed that he would meet someone who genuinely cared about him, someone he could have fun with and was as secure about his sexuality as he was. Being drop-dead gorgeous didn't hurt, either.

Still, he had a hard time comprehending that this was all real; that he wasn't going to wake up to find himself alone in bed with the pit of his stomach dropping with disappointment. At that moment, Leon glanced back at him, a quiet contentment in his eyes telling Cloud that he had no reservations about potentially exposing their new-found relationship to his roommate. Cloud smiled at Leon. He was so damn happy.

They entered the kitchen just as Irvine took a seat next to Zell at the table, breakfast already in front of them.

"'Mornin'" Irvine greeted, smiling at Cloud before looking down at his paper.

"Good morning," Cloud responded, causing Zell to look up.

"You two came in late last night." Zell commented, grinning at Leon.

"Keeping tabs on me now?" Leon said nonchalantly, making his way to the fridge.

Cloud wasn't sure whether he should follow Leon or stay near the doorway. He took a few steps into the kitchen before stopping, rocking back on his heels and shoving his hands in his pockets. He still felt a bit of the headache from the night before but the dizziness came from what happened that morning.

"Gotta watch over you, ya know?" Zell responded, winking at Cloud and earning a smile in return.

"Sure…" Leon looked over his shoulder at Cloud and beckoned him over. "You cook the eggs and I'll cook the bacon." he instructed, handing Cloud a carton of eggs.

Cloud grinned and nodded as he took the carton, watching Leon pull out a couple of frying pans out of the lower cupboard.

"Have fun last night?" Zell asked, all of a sudden not interested in the newspaper in front of him.

"Yeah," Leon answered, not acknowledging Zell in any other way.

"Where did you end up eating?" Irvine asked, putting down his paper.

Leon looked over at Cloud then refocused on the stove. "Teethers." he answered, pouring oil into the pan.

"Teethers?!" Zell asked enthusiastically before getting a kick to the shin courtesy of Irvine. "Good food." he recovered, glaring at Irvine before looking back at the two by the stove.

Leon ignored Zell as he threw of strips of bacon on the heating pan. Cloud began the eggs and looked over at Zell.

"It was good food. It was a good suggestion."

"Zell has good taste." Irvine added, glaring at Zell once Cloud turned back to the frying pan.

"I have good taste." Zell said mechanically, not trying to hide the fact that he was a little surprised at the information he'd just learned.

Leon glanced over at Zell with indifference before turning back to the task at hand. He wasn't surprised that Zell was being weird; it just annoyed him a bit.

Cloud, seemingly oblivious of what was going on around him, simply smiled.

"What are you two up to today?" Irvine asked, deciding that it would have to be up to him to break the momentary awkward silence filling the room.

Leon pursed his lips before looking over to Cloud. Cloud looked back at Leon and offered a quick shrug before tending to the eggs.

"Don't know yet." Leon answered quietly.

"Maybe we could take a walk?" Cloud suggested. "It looks like its really nice outside."

Leon looked back at Cloud and although his expression offered nothing, his eyes seemed to lighten. "That would be nice."

Zell snorted then pouted playfully. "Aww… the lovers don't want to spend time with us, Irvine. My heart just broke a little."

Both Leon and Cloud looked over at Zell; neither surprised but both reeling slightly over the older blond's comment.

"Stop being a dick." Irvine said coolly, sipping on his coffee. "New love needs time to grow uninterrupted."

Cloud held his breath at the 'L' word and tried not to look back at Leon to see how the brunet took it. Of course, he only had the self-restraint for a few seconds before his eyes met blue-gray.

It wasn't all that uncommon, but Cloud couldn't get a reading from Leon's eyes as they roamed from Irvine to Zell then finally to his. He still held his breath waiting for an indication of whether he should laugh, scowl, or just ignore the other two.

"I just want to spend some time with Cloud." Leon finally responded, eyes shifting back to Irvine. Cloud's heart stopped. Was Leon attempting to hide their relationship already? He fought the urge to frown before Leon spoke again.

"Our relationship is only a half an hour old. Forgive us for not wanting to hang out with you two idiots."

Cloud grinned at Leon, earning a twitch of the lips in return before flipping the bacon.

"Is that what you think of us?" Zell asked, renewing his pout and slumping his shoulders.

Irvine shot Zell a playful glare before smiling up at the two boys at the stove. "A half an hour old – wow."

Cloud grinned then smiled at Irvine as Leon took the eggs from him and piled them on the plates.

"Was that before or after you boinked?" Zell asked with a proud smirk.

Irvine kicked him in the shin once again as Cloud's head whipped around to stare dumbly at the other blond.

"It's not like that." he said a little too defensively than he had intended.

"Don't explain yourself to him, Cloud." Irvine said, shaking his head. "It'll only encourage him."

Leon took the plates to the two free chairs at the table. Cloud followed, still watching the evil grin play across Zell's lips.

"If we _'boinked'_, as you so charmingly put it, then you would have heard it." Leon said coolly drawing a rich laugh from both Zell and Irvine. Cloud was just stunned.

"I suppose we would have." Zell laughed, rubbing his eyes before dropping his hand to the table. "So this relationship isn't built on sex. Hmm… you must really love each other, then."

Cloud flinched at the 'L' word and again tried not to look over at Leon. Irvine looked over at Zell with a grin before shaking his head. "Cloud is never going to want to come back here after this morning because of you, you know. Think of poor Leon and shut your mouth, dipshit."

Cloud managed to look over at Leon with bewildered eyes just as Leon looked back at him. Cloud tried to grin to assure Leon that what Irvine had said wasn't the truth but he wasn't sure if Leon caught on. Those eyes held stony indifference as the brunet mouthed the words 'I'm sorry'.

Cloud's grin turned into a smile before he shook his head. "You know as well as I do that I can handle stupid people." Leon's eyes softened before the blond continued. "I'm not running out the door just yet."

Cloud thought he saw a smile threatening to escape Leon but the brunet had a lot of practice hiding it so it never broke the surface. This caused his smile to widen before he looked back at the other two. "There's nothing you can say that will offend me to the point where I won't come back to see Leon, so do your worst."

Two things happened at this point: one – both Zell and Irvine smirked evilly as if they were just given permission to unleash hell, and two – Leon's ran a hand down his face and mumbled something along the lines of 'you don't realize the can of worms you've just opened'. Each alone would have been enough to make Cloud slightly uncomfortable; together, the blond wondered what he had just done. The blond grinned at Zell and shrugged his shoulders. "I've seen worse. No contest."

In all honestly, Cloud was almost welcoming the teasing that seemed to have been expected by Leon. Getting teased about his new boyfriend by said boyfriend's roommate and friend was a thousand times better than what he put up with at home..

"Oh, Cloud, my new friend…" Zell chuckled. "You have spunk. I like that!"

Irvine grinned and nodded his head. "We kid because we love – just keep that in mind over the next little while and all should be fine."

Cloud smiled then looked back at Leon who seemed to be trying to focus on his food without comment. Blue-gray rose from the plate and met baby blue. "You're taking responsibility for anything that happens from these two." he said with an indifferent tone. "Don't say you weren't warned."

"You'll come to my rescue." Cloud responded, eyes roaming over the brunet's gorgeous features with adoration. "You always do."

Leon's eyes searched Cloud's before he gave a short nod, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Yeah, I will."

Cloud smiled as Zell and Irvine began cooing and dramatically pretending to sob over the beauty of a new-found relationship. Cloud ignored them as he held Leon's eyes. Nothing could bother him when he knew he had Leon.

-.-.-.-

Leon found some fresh clothes for Cloud to change into as Cloud showered. After Cloud walked out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel, Leon took his shower leaving Cloud to dress and wait for him to finish so they could go on their walk.

Once dressed, Cloud hugged himself as he glanced around the bedroom. Leon's pleasant scent surrounded him but that didn't stop him from taking in the aroma in from the shirt he was wearing. He couldn't get enough of it.

As his eyes wandered, he began to get the urge to look through Leon's stuff. He wasn't sure what he wanted to look for but he wanted to see what Leon had. The blond wondered whether this was a really bad thing to do; what would Leon think if he caught the blond shuffling through his desk and nightstand? Cloud grinned as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. H felt better from the previous night's drinking and with everything that had happened since then, he felt on top of the world.

_The most private stuff is usually kept in the nightstand…_ he told himself as his eyes drifted towards that piece of furniture. It was tempting… but if Leon caught him… _I'd hear the shower stop before he came out of the bathroom…_ Cloud told himself, eyes trying to peer through the wooden nightstand.

The blond slowly lifted himself from the bed and wandered over innocently to Leon's nightstand and tried to determine how bad of a new boyfriend he would be if he were to rummage just a little. He glanced back towards the bathroom before making up his mind. Just a small peek couldn't hurt and Leon wouldn't even know about it.

Cloud sat on the bed again and slowly opened the drawer to the nightstand. He tried to stop himself from smiling but couldn't stop his guilty smirk. There wasn't a whole lot inside the small drawer and he was thankful it wasn't filled with things that would make him blush. Inside there was only a small notebook. The blond looked down at the notebook and wondered if it would be so horrible if he were to flip through a few of the pages. He gently picked up the notebook and examined the blank cover as if it would offer some sort of hint of its contents.

Upon finding nothing useful form the blank cover, as expected, Cloud glanced up at the bathroom door before flipping through a few pages. Leon's neat handwriting filled pages upon pages and Cloud stopped at one entry dated eight months ago and began reading.

'_No known end of time, but that's to be expected._

_What else are we to know but time and more time?_

_I'll wait, but for how long?_

_I'll endure, but to what extent?_

_No known end to my patience, but I will fight._

_Someday, but not today_

_I need a cause, but not for myself._

_Am I worth it? Is he worth it?_

_No known answer, but that's to be expected_

_As well.'_

Cloud frowned as he read over the entry again and shook his head. He wasn't sure what exactly the brunet was writing about but he had an idea. The blond let out a sigh before flipping through the pages to a newer entry dated a few months back.

'_Paul Weller said it best…_

"_We'll smile, but only for seconds_

_for to be caught smiling is to acknowledge life._

_A brave but useless show of compassion_

_and that is forbidden in this drab and colourless world."_

_- Wasteland lyrics.'_

This next entry caused the blond to frown further just as he heard the shower being turned off. His heart skipped a beat as he closed the notebook and placed it back into the drawer, closing it quietly, and stood up from the bed. He did not expect to find something so depressing when he decided to rummage through Leon's drawer and he began to feel a little guilty about his curiosity.

To come off as innocent as possible, Cloud began making the bed before laying down on the tidy comforter. Leon's written words echoed in his thoughts and the blond wondered what had caused these thoughts to come from Leon's mind.

_Am I worth it? Is he worth it?_

'He', meaning Seifer? Leon's former lover? That thought caused a pang of jealously to jolt through the blond's chest. _You're worth it, Leon…_ he said in his own mind, scowling at the thought of Seifer immediately after. _He's not worth it; an idiot who would pass up on such a perfect boyfriend…_

_Drab and colourless world…_ Cloud ran through this line a few times before he heard the bathroom door open. He turned his head and happiness replaced his former dark mood.

"Hey…" the blond said, smiling as Leon towel-dried his hair.

Leon was dressing in his jeans with his shirt hanging over his shoulder. "You made the bed." the brunet commented, watching the blond sit up and swing his feet to the ground.

"I did." Cloud said a little uneasily. "When do you want to take off?"

Leon tossed his towel into the laundry basket then pulled on his shirt, completely oblivious to the gawking stare he was receiving from a very impressed Cloud. "Whenever you want to go, I guess."

"Is everything all right?" Cloud asked next, trying to recover from his infatuation with the brunet's body. He realized after he had asked that it was a misplaced question. Leon was being himself this morning and the cause for Cloud's concern was based on what he had just read. Of course, Leon had no idea what Cloud did when he was in the shower and the blond decided to drop this subject if Leon didn't press the issue.

"Everything's…" Leon started, thinking for a moment before making his way to stand in front of Cloud. "Everything's good. I'm happy."

Cloud couldn't stop his smile from spreading widely across his face as he stood up close to Leon. "I'm happy too. You have no idea."

Leon's lips twitched before he gently pulled Cloud into a warm hug; his arms wrapping around the blond affectionately before resting his head against the Cloud's. "I have an idea. I'm just… happy."

Cloud snuggled closer to the brunet and inhaled his scent deeply. His body tingled with anticipation as he wrapped his arms around Leon's body and squeezed. "I'll get you to smile one of these days…" the blond murmured as he tilted his head against the brunet's. "I bet you have a really pretty smile."

"Smile?" Leon asked, pulling his head back to look into Cloud's eyes while keeping his body close. "I can be happy without smiling, can't I?"

Cloud smiled back up at Leon. "I'm sure you can but I want to see it eventually."

"You can show happiness without smiling." Leon countered, his voice holding a tint of playfulness.

"Show me." Cloud re-countered, his smile turning into a grin.

Leon's eyes narrowed before shaking his head. "Can I get back to you on that?"

Cloud giggled and rested his head against Leon's shoulder. "Sure…" As much as he wanted to see his boyfriend smile, he wasn't going to push the issue. He just wanted to soak up as much of this feeling he was feeling right now as possible.

They stood that way, holding one another, for another minute before Leon tilted his head and kissed Cloud's temple. "Where do you want to walk?"

"Nowhere in particular. I just wanted to do something with you." the blond answered, sighing happily at Leon's affections.

Leon planted another kiss on Cloud's temple before pulling back a step and looked into the blond's eyes. "We'll find our way."

Cloud's eyes held Leon's for a moment before he nodded.

Although the sun was shining in what seemed to be full force, a cool breeze stuck in the air making the day a perfect temperature. Cloud couldn't be happier with the weather and an added perk was that the wind carried Leon's scent around him from the clothes he was wearing, constantly reminding him of just how lucky he was.

At first, Leon and Cloud walked in almost silence, a comfortable silence with a few comments here and there about things they passed on the street. They made their way to the park they were at the night before and headed down a bike trail that connected to a network of others. Cloud was more than happy to try and get lost with Leon in the web of trails leading all over town.

Before too long Leon stopped and looked into the sky; his eyes focusing on something Cloud couldn't see.

"Cloud, come here." Leon said, eyes remaining upwards as Cloud moved to stand closer to him. The blond looked up but was unsure of what he was looking for.

Leon reached over and pulled the blond a little closer before pointing up into a tree above their heads.

"What am I looking for?" Cloud asked, his eyes following where Leon was pointing, roaming the branches.

"Genus Agapornis." Leon said, leaning his head closer to Cloud's in attempt to redirect the blond's line of site. "Up there, second branch up."

"Genus-what?" Cloud asked before a flicker of colour caught his eye. "Oh my goodness…" Two colourful birds sat on a branch huddled against one another. The birds looked like parrots and seemed so perfectly happy to just chill in the sun with one another. "Are they parrots?" the blond asked, watching one of the birds nuzzle its head against the other.

"Genus Agapornis. 'Love birds'." Leon answered, lowering his hand taking Cloud's hand in his own. "They're African birds. They must have been owned as pets at one time…"

"What are they doing out here?" Cloud asked, watching the birds while marveling in delight as Leon's hand closed around his.

"They eat small fruits and insects so they must have found somewhere close-by that's a good food source." Leon answered.

"They're a long ways away from Africa." Cloud said, looking back at Leon before his eyes drifted back up to the love birds in the tree.

"At least they're happy." Leon responded. "Doesn't matter where they are as long as they're with each other."

Cloud looked over to Leon with a soft smile. The brunet was still looking up at the birds as Cloud squeezed his hand lightly, drawing the brunet's attention back down to him. "I know the feeling."

Leon's eyes narrowed slightly before he pulled Cloud closer to him and captured the blond's lips with his own in a gentle, light kiss. Such a simple gesture has astronomical effects on the blond. He couldn't help himself from leaning into the kiss and deepening it almost immediately; pressing his body against Leon's and wrapping his arms around the brunet's neck.

Leon didn't seem to mind the blond's loss of control as he responded to the intensified kiss without delay and pulled the blond, if at possible, closer to his own body.

To say the kiss didn't have a profound effect on Cloud would be a lie. He recognized certain signs of his growing loss of control instantaneously but lacked the self discipline to put an end to the passionate kiss that was growing more heated by the second. Like the need for air, the kiss they shared was instinctual and neither one was willing to fight the pull they felt towards one another at that moment.

It wasn't until a bell from a couple of bypassing bikers cut through the air before both boys broke the kiss and stepped out of the way to clear a path. Cloud lowered his head and rested it against Leon's chest. Leon kept his arms around the blond as the cyclists passed with friendly smiles.

Cloud drew a deep breath before looking back up at the love birds sitting in the tree above their heads. They looked as happy and content as he felt right now, maybe minus the excitement he was recovering from due to their passionate kiss.

The blond was so perfectly content watching the birds nuzzle against one another above while he stood in Leon's arms. He left the brunet shift slightly before a gust of warm air brushed against his neck. Cloud's features slackened from the exhilaration as he felt Leon's lips caress his neck gently before planting a couple of long kisses against his now overly heated skin.

"Leon…" Cloud almost moaned as the brunet trailed kisses over his skin, making their way towards his earlobe.

Leon made a quiet humming noise as he continued to kiss a trail that ignited Cloud's body on fire. Cloud was panting at this point as his eyes fluttered shut, his head still tilted upwards, as Leon sent wave after wave of pleasure through his body.

Cloud moaned again involuntarily as he felt a gust of warm air over his ear before Leon stopped his ministrations.

"Cloud…" he whispered lowly, lips brushing against Cloud's earlobe delicately before pulling back to look into the blond's face.

Cloud lowered his head from the trees and opened his eyes to meet gray-blue watching him intently.

"Cloud, I'm sorry…" the brunet said lowly.

Cloud narrowed his eyes and watched the blue-gray storm in Leon's eyes swirl. "Sorry for what?"

Leon shook his head a took a step back from the blond causing said blond to reach for his hand to ensure he didn't make it too far. "I shouldn't have just done that." The brunet answered, looking down at his hand in Cloud's. He began rubbing circles across the back of Cloud's hand with his thumb.

Cloud smiled then gave Leon's hand a firm squeeze. He tilted his head and watched as Leon tried to focus on anything else but him. "Why would you be apologizing for that? I liked it."

Leon's eyes remained down on Cloud's hand in his own. "I said I wanted to take it slow then I do something like that…" the brunet said lowly. "I don't want to lose control then do things that make it impossible not to. I'm sorry."

Cloud's smile widened. He lifted his hand, bringing Leon's up with it and kissed the back of Leon's hand, gray-blue eyes shifting up to meet crystal blue. "Stop apologizing…"

Leon watched Cloud's eyes on him before letting out a soft sigh. "You're so tantalizing… Either you're naturally this enticing or you're a very good actor."

Cloud chuckled then started walking again, hand still in Leon's. "I generally try to be somewhat modest, but I've never been one for theatrics."

Leon let out a puff of air, probably in amusement before he met Cloud's pace. "I believe that."

Idle chitchat filled the space between them as they continued their walk through the web of bike trails throughout the town. Cloud was simply glowing as Leon periodically gave his hand a gentle squeeze now and again and Cloud would return them affectionately. It all seemed too good to be true.

"What do you think Tony is going to say when he finds out about us?" Leon asked randomly after a brief pause in conversation.

Cloud looked down at the pavement before biting his lower lip. "Doesn't matter. I don't care what he will think or say."

"You don't think things will get worse between you two?" Leon asked, looking over at the slightly frowning blond.

"Maybe," the blond responded. "But after your attack on Friday he might back off."

"Maybe…" Leon replied before pausing for a brief second. "I think he might still have feelings for you."

Cloud looked over to his boyfriend with a look of disgust. "Why, for the love of everything that is Holy, would you think that? You remember that he kicks the shit out of me, right?"

"To prove that he's not gay to his friends, sure, but he also has latched onto the idea trying to ensure I join his group of friends and not yours."

"Maybe he has feelings for you, then." Cloud responded without missing a beat.

"He doesn't know me." Leon retorted just as quickly.

"Then maybe he finds you utterly irresistible and drop-dead gorgeous." Cloud fired back, smiling when Leon's eyes narrowed at him playfully.

"Probably not…" the brunet answered, giving Cloud's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Why not?" Cloud asked. "I felt that way from the moment I laid eyes on you."

Leon's eyes softened before he looked back ahead. "Generally homophobes are good at hiding those feelings, even from themselves."

"He's an acting homophobe. In denial. He's probably more aware of his feelings than most." Cloud explained, suddenly feeling bad about talking about Tony like he knew him inside and out. Well, they had been friends for most of their lives, so it probably wasn't too far off base.

"Doesn't matter what he thinks about me." Leon said, glancing back over to the blond. "I have a boyfriend already."

Cloud's smile widened to the point it was about to split his face in two before he looked down in attempts to hide his forming blush. Leon must have seen it since he tugged on Cloud's hand to draw him closer to his side before dropping his hand and wrapped it around Cloud's hips.

"He was an idiot for giving you up." Leon said, placing a kiss on the side of Cloud's head. "His loss - my astronomical gain."

Cloud bit his lower lip again in attempts to control his growing smile. His heart fluttered uncontrollably in his chest. Somehow Leon's reserved mushiness was having more of an effect on him then he would have imagined. He chanced a look up at his boyfriend, who was watching the path ahead of them. He had an urge to say something to the brunet that he knew would be a dire mistake so he ran it through his head a few times before taking a deep breath.

"The gain is all mine…"

Leon looked over at Cloud and shook his head. "So modest… It's a mutual gain; how about that?"

Cloud grinned and nodded.

Leon and Cloud continued their walk and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine on their skin. Cloud didn't know whether it was because of their new relationship, but the sun never felt so good before. His thoughts wandered over to what Brad had said during History class on Friday and that made him smile. Brad had called this one, betting that Leon and Cloud would be a couple within a week and here he was, Leon's arm circling his body which was still sparking with excitement from their 'close encounters'. Maybe his school friends were more than just mere acquaintances. Maybe they knew him a little better than he gave them credit for.

"Monday's going to be interesting." Cloud commented, looking down to the ground with a small smile.

"Because we're open?" Leon asked glancing over at the blond, eyes roaming over Cloud's features.

Cloud looked up at Leon and smiled warmly. "Yeah, sort of…" he answered but quickly corrected himself. "I mean, it's not a bad thing, but you know how people get when there's a new couple in the school, right? Especially since there's not too many open gay couples."

"I know." was all Leon said as he looked on ahead once again. "Your friends are going to have a field day with this, ya?"

Cloud chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, but all in good fun like Zell and Irvine." Cloud thought for a moment before continuing. "Brad said he knew this was going to happen."

"Us?" Leon asked for clarification.

Cloud nodded once more and felt a faint blush warm his cheeks. "He said he'd bet we'd be together within a week."

There was silence for a brief moment before Leon responded. "How would he know?"

"I guess he just saw right through me." Cloud explained. "I tried to hide what I felt for you but I guess I didn't do as good of a job as I had thought."

"You definitely didn't." Leon said, pinching Cloud lightly with the hand resting upon his side. "But how did he know I was the same way? I didn't think I was that transparent."

Cloud shook his head, feeling his blush darken for a reason he couldn't even guess at. "I didn't think you were transparent. I had no idea. Brad's just… well, Brad."

"He's a good guy." Leon said then quickly shook his head. "They all are, really."

"Brad's always been sort of the voice of reason and big brother of the group." Cloud explained. "Xander's like the younger brother and Brantley's sort of like… the annoying cousin."

Leon let a puff of air out and shook his head. "But they care about you."

Cloud paused for a moment before nodding his head. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I think maybe we should make more of an effort to spend time with them outside of school; I'd hate to see you lose touch with them after graduation." Leon added, his voice sounding far off.

"I guess." was all Cloud responded with before silence once more surrounded them.

The day passed by better than Cloud could have hoped. Openly talking about their feelings for one another was a wonderful change of pace for the blond and he still felt overly giddy when Leon would say something relating to their relationship. Monday would be a little weird, in a way, but Cloud wasn't the least bit reluctant to tell the world that he know had the world's most gorgeous man at his side.

The two boys stopped to eat at a restaurant they passed by and filled their meal with more talk about Monday and what they guessed was going to happen. Curious stares, gossip, hushed conversations as they passed by; all of that didn't matter.

As the afternoon went by, Cloud realized that he still had homework to complete, as did Leon, and Cloud decided it was sadly time to go back home. Leon insisted that he walk Cloud home as the two left the restaurant hand in hand.

"Is everything going to be alright?" Leon asked as the boys approached Cloud's house.

"Yeah, everything's going to be fine." Cloud assured, smiling at his boyfriend as he turned to stand in front of him.

Leon glanced up at the house before looking back down into Cloud's eyes. "You'll call me if anything happens?"

Cloud's smile didn't falter as he nodded happily. Talking about a potential bad situation wasn't enough to throw a wet blanket over his good mood today.

"Maybe you can call me later even if nothing bad is happening?" Leon requested in the form of a question, looking down at Cloud's hand in his own.

Cloud's smile widened as he gave Leon's hand a gentle squeeze. "That can be arranged."

Leon sighed before looking back up at Cloud. His eyes were immediately drawn to baby blue which seemed to light up the entire street. "Meet me at our lockers tomorrow morning?" Leon once again requested in a form of a question.

Cloud nodded before his smile grew wider. "It might seem stupid, but I'm still in disbelief that this is all happening."

"It's happening." Leon responded, his jaded expression not showing too much more than indifference. That was to be expected from the brunet, though.

"It just feels too good to be real. Everything's going my way." Cloud continued, searching nonchalant eyes for something to grasp at. If Leon wasn't holding his hand he might have been paranoid concerned.

There was silence for a moment before Leon took a small step closer to Cloud and cradled his cheek in his palm. Cloud's eyes glossed over with anticipation as his lips formed a quiet, small grin. "Isn't it about time you started getting your way?" Leon asked quietly.

Cloud wasn't able to respond being that he was completely entranced by the brunet before him. Leon didn't seem to require a response as he leaned in a little closer and barely touched his lips against Cloud's. Cloud went to kiss him back before he realized that Leon wasn't exactly kissing him at the moment but was brushing his lips over his own. His heart thudded in his chest as he felt soft, pink lips gently glide over his own and almost immediately his body began to respond from the intimate gesture.

Leon paused in his motion, keeping his lips barely pressed up against Cloud's. Cloud's head was positively reeling from this all and he couldn't help but let out a soft whimper as his body begged him to take control and pull Leon flush up against him. He didn't need to, though, since as soon as Cloud let out that soft whimper Leon's lips pressed forward and captured Cloud's in a searing, heated kiss; his tongue immediately seeking entrance into the blond's mouth and stroking Cloud's as soon as that permission was granted.

Cloud let out a moan as Leon took control of the kiss and let his body be drawn closer to the brunet. He wrapped his arms around Leon's neck as Leon wrapped his arms around Cloud's body and he was sure that it wouldn't be long before Leon felt what exactly he was doing to the blond's body.

There was no space between their bodies as their kiss turned more passionate, causing the blond to moan once more. Leon had total control of him and Cloud was all too happy to let himself fall victim to the passion that was building between them. He was sure by now Leon could feel him hard against him and to his utter fascination, he could feel Leon too. This caused yet another throaty moan to escape the blond into Leon's mouth before something mind-blowing completely caught Cloud off guard.

He distinctly felt Leon thrust up against him. The pleasure that was radiating off the blond's body spiked at this motion causing him to pull away from the kiss in desperate need of air. His head spun and he couldn't help but pant heavily as he attempted to regain control of his breathing.

Leon rested his forehead against Cloud's, keeping his eyes closed. Their bodies were still pinned against one another's by the grip each held and they stayed that way as they both fought to steady their breathing.

"There I go again…" Leon said lowly, keeping his eyes closed still.

"'S not a bad thing…" Cloud responded, sighing deeply as his heart threatened to jump out of his chest.

Leon opened his eyes and looked directly into the blond's, the blue-gray storm brewing something fierce with excitement. "Probably not the best thing to be doing in front of your house."

Cloud closed his eyes then moved his head so it was resting in the crook of Leon's neck. "I don't care…"

Leon ran a hand through silky, blond hair and leaned his head against Cloud's. "You make me lose all sense of control…"

Cloud moved his head once more so he could look into Leon's eyes. "'S not a bad thing…" he repeated, expression completely serious.

"Cloud…" Leon murmured, eyes focused on Cloud's and his hand stroked the blond's back lightly. "If I lose control-"

"Then we take it from there." Cloud interrupted. He smiled a sweet, playful smile before continuing. "For someone who refuses to believe in love because all of the_ rules_ associated with it, you sure do have a few dos and don'ts regarding relationships."

"I don't want to rush you." Leon responded quietly, eyes dropping to the blond's lips.

"I'll tell you when you're rushing me." Cloud responded back.

Leon sighed before pulling Cloud into a firm embrace. "I'm afraid you won't tell me in fear that you'll disappoint me."

Cloud thought this over a moment before squeezing the brunet tightly. "I can only promise you that I won't lie about it, if you'll trust me."

Leon pulled back slightly and looked down at the blond with seemingly expressionless eyes. "Promise me."

"I promise." Cloud responded sincerely with a smile.

"Then take off your pants. I'm taking you on your lawn." Leon said bluntly, catching the blond completely off guard.

Cloud chuckled after a moment of recovery and punched Leon lightly in the stomach. "Too fast…"

Leon's eyes lightened and Cloud could have sworn he saw Leon's lips twitch a few times before his impassive expression returned. "Do you believe that I'm happy, Cloud?"

"Yes," Cloud answered, nodding his head. "Why do you ask?"

"You said earlier that you wanted to see me smile." Leon explained. "I'm not really one for smiling, but I must have gotten through to you somehow today that I really am happy."

Cloud smiled widely before biting his lower lip. "You got through to me."

Leon nodded. "I told you I'd get back to you on that. Satisfied?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "I still want to see you smile one of these days."

Leon rolled his eyes and took Cloud's hand in his own. "Why?"

"Because, like I said earlier, I bet you have a really pretty smile." He pinched Leon's hand with his own. "Is it so wrong to want to see your boyfriend smile?"

Leon pretended to think about this for a moment before shrugging. "Maybe you'll get lucky one of these days."

A light popped on inside of Cloud's house drawing Leon's attention to the building. "I should let you go before she comes at me with a rake."

Cloud looked over his shoulder before looking back at Leon. "See you tomorrow morning?"

Leon leaned in and kissed Cloud chastely on the lips. "Call me later to say hi."

"I will."

-o-o-o-

Thanks for sticking with me this long! Love you all for your patience and support throughout. I'm sorry I can't say when you can expect the next chapter but know that I'm working on it. If this story has taught me one thing, it's this:

Do not post a chapter without the story being finished!

Geez, this story was my first 'publish chapter when finished' and I've felt nothing but horrible for the waits. If you can bear with me to the end of this story, I promise I'll go back to updates days apart from here on out.

Thanks guys!

**Shout out to KlikStar**! Thanks for everything, Lovey! Just thinking about you makes me smile. :o)


	15. Chapter 14

o.0

Hey there! Umm… so here's the next chapter. :o)

*looks around nervously*

I hope I still have some readers left.

For those of you who are still around, a friend of mine, _**ChrK**_, made a beautiful collage of pictures of guys he thought would suit the characters of this story if they were to be casted. By beautiful, I mean… hell, check it out! The guys _**are **_beautiful. I've posted a link to the picture on my homepage so please check it out at some point. I'm absolutely tickled pink over this surprise I found in my inbox one dreary morning before work. XD Thanks again, ChrK! XoXo

When I steal a moment to pop online, I'm so thrilled with the reviews and comments on Salacity. Thank you all for your continued support and although I haven't been replying to anything as of lately, please know your words are cherished! I lie not. :o) I loved reading a comment by a reader who told me that they actually had a dream about Cloud and Leon from my story! *nudges at now knowing reader and winks* I mean, how big can my head get?!

Starting September 18th I will have a day off from work every couple of weeks (paid – yay!) and plan to use that time to begin catching up and writing more often. I know a day every couple of weeks is not a lot, but it's better than what I've been getting. More to come on that later, I suppose.

Without further ado, please enjoy this chapter. Reviews would brighten my day, too, in case you just so happened to be wondering about that. Just throwing it out there. :P

-o-o-o-

There was something incredibly refreshing about waking up the next morning knowing that you have something that you've been wanting for some time now. It's not like the blond knew Leon for very long, but having someone to care about who seems to care just as much about you is a wonderful feeling. Cloud woke up with a smile on his face, something that was present before his mind groggily lifted from his comfortable slumber. It would be easy to assume that he was dreaming about his new boyfriend, but even if he wasn't, that smile would still be in place, spreading across his attractive features.

The blond felt as though he were floating; making his way out of bed to the shower then back to his room afterwards seemed to take no effort at all. He smiled as he held the shirt he'd worn the day before, Leon's, to his face and inhaled the brunet's scent. It would be proper to return the article of clothing to Leon that day but it was too easy to say he'd forgotten it at home to allow him one more night snuggled up with it. Cloud didn't really think of this as lying despite the fact that, well, it was. He thought if it more as a small, tiny fib that Leon would easily forgive if Cloud were to tell him the truth.

The conversation Cloud had with Leon last night seemed almost surreal. He had called Leon just to say 'hi' like the brunet had requested and they ended up talking for over an hour. Cloud really couldn't recall everything they talked about; the conversation taking an easy flow as both boys spoke about whatever crossed their mind at that very moment. Cloud had learned that Leon was a virgo, his birthday being only twelve days after his own although a year older as Leon repeated a grade due to absence after his mother's death. Cloud found it delightful to point out that virgo means virgin, a fact Leon seemed reluctant to acknowledge.

Leon had mentioned briefly about something he wrote once which brought Cloud's thoughts back to the journal Leon kept. Leon didn't know that Cloud looked through his journal and the prospect that Leon just might tell him about it made the blond somewhat eager. When it seemed that Leon was veering off in another direction, Cloud blurted out the first question that popped into his head;

"_What sort of stuff do you write?"_

Cloud frowned as he remembered where the conversation went, Leon artfully dodging the question with a _'this and that'_ before swiftly changing the topic without Cloud's knowing.

Cloud's frown turned into a grin as he thought about how sly Leon had been. As curious as he was about talking to the brunet about the journal, he didn't realize they were three conversation pieces away from it at that point.

The blond folded Leon's shirt and placed it under his pillow before packing his bag for school. He was anxious to see Leon again and the thought of making their relationship open to the school seemed surreal. Although he felt fine with the idea, it was still a little nerve-wracking. Cloud grinned once more when he thought about Brad, Xander, and Brantley's possible reaction to the news.

The day before Leon seemed adamant that he wanted Cloud to spend more time with his three school acquaintances, or, _they_ should as, like Leon said, they were good guys. Even though they didn't really step in when things went down a school they were always there for him to bitch at. When they all first met, after another beating from Tony and his gang, they all seemed genuinely concerned for Cloud and that was worth holding onto.

Cloud glanced over at his clock and smiled. It was time to head out to school. He quietly left the house in hopes of avoiding his mother, a task successful, and attempted to not skip to school, another task successful even if only barely.

It felt good that he could go to school not wondering whether he was due for another fight with Tony as he and some of his friends were suspended last Friday. He knew that he wouldn't be suspended for long due to the fact that Cloud and Leon didn't receive any punishment and it was Leon who started the fight, but Cloud was all too happy to count his blessings and enjoy an assault-free day.

Cloud sighed happily as he approached the school building and wondered just how much of an idiot he looked like right now. _Here comes the gay kid, smiling like a doofus almost skipping to school._ He couldn't help himself. The school seemed clearer, brighter, almost cleaner, and once again Cloud found himself almost floating towards the entrance. Life was good when you have a gorgeous boyfriend possibly already waiting for you by your locker.

The fact that Leon hadn't arrived yet didn't do anything to dampen Cloud's mood as he unlocked his locker and swung the door open.

"Somebody's chirpy today." a familiar voice sounded behind the blond causing him to smile.

Cloud looked over his shoulder at Brantley with a grin, who was standing next to Xander. "Had a good weekend."

"I'll say…" Brantley said, returning Cloud's grin.

Cloud rolled his eyes and turned back to his locker, biting his lower lip in hopes that he could stop himself from smiling too big.

"How did your date go?" Xander asked before shaking his head. "Nevermind. I have an idea just by looking at you…"

Cloud chucked his pencil case over his shoulder at Xander without looking back. He smiled when Xander's startled voice cursed then laughed at his assault.

"That means it went not so good or really, _really_ great!" Brantley laughed, picking up Cloud's pencil case and handing it to the blond who had closed his locker and turned around.

"None of your business." the blond responded not being able to hide the smile that was practically splitting his face in two.

"And that smile says it went really, _really_ great." Xander added, nudging Cloud on the shoulder with a fist.

Cloud chose not to respond as he looked down at the ground to try and recompose.

"Is it official?" Xander asked, voice all of a sudden switching from playful to a happy curiousity.

"Yeah…" Cloud replied with a nod as he looked up at the two boys standing in front of him. "Yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Brantley asked, a smile spreading across his lips. "But your date was Saturday… unless… you slept over?!"

Cloud's smile dropped and was replaced with a look of shock. "No!" he stammered before correcting himself. "I mean… I slept over, but not like that."

"But you slept over?" Xander reiterated, seemingly a lot more interested than he should be.

"I was drunk and Leon-" Cloud began to explain before being interrupted.

"You were drunk and slept over?!" Brantley almost shouted before looking around to make sure no one overheard his rather suggestive accusation.

Cloud simply glared at Brantley, not bothering to look for the attention Brantley must have attracted. He waited a moment as Brantley quietly apologized with a sheepish grin.

"If you'll let me finish…" Cloud began, looking from Brantley to Xander then back to Brantley. "I was drunk and Leon didn't want to send me home in case I encountered my mother." Cloud let that sink in before grinning like an idiot. "Then I woke up in his arms."

Xander smiled a seemingly genuinely happy smile. Brantley was more of an investigator.

"Who initiated that snuggle-fest?"

Cloud rolled his eyes before looking down the hall for Leon. He still hadn't arrived.

"I don't know. It just happened during sleep." Cloud tried to suppress his smile then looked to the ground. "When we woke up, well… we just told each other that we liked each other."

"And then?" Brantley asked, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, effectively earning a backhand from Xander.

"And then we_ talked_." Cloud informed, not able to hide his bubbly feeling. "We spent the day together."

Xander's smile widened and Cloud noticed how happy he looked.

"That's so wonderful." Xander said quietly, holding Cloud's eyes. "You deserve to be happy for once with all this shit you go through. I'm happy for you."

It took Cloud a moment to process how pleased Xander seemed to be with this news. It made his heart warm.

"Thanks." Cloud responded as his eyes caught sight of the form he'd been looking forward to seeing since the evening before. He smiled and took a deep breath as anticipation grew in the pit of his stomach watching his boyfriend approach the three of them.

"Hi." Leon said, glancing from Cloud to Xander then to Brantley.

Brantley and Xander nodded with a quick 'hey' before looking over to Cloud, who was almost blushing.

Leon narrowed his eyes at the blond before making his way to unlock his locker.

"I suppose they already know?" the brunet asked, dropping his back to the ground with a shrug of his shoulder.

"Yeah…" Cloud answered, watching his boyfriend turn around to face him.

"Good." the brunet said, leaning in for a quick kiss before turning around and packing his bag.

The blush Cloud managed to fight off hit full fledge as he bit his lower lip. He'd never kissed someone in public before and standing right next to Brantley and Xander made it slightly awkward. The two other boys smiled and looked at one another.

In attempts to alleviate some of the awkwardness, Cloud decided to speak next.

"I forgot to bring your shirt in today. I can bring it back to you tomorrow."

Leon glanced up over his shoulder to the blond and nodded. "No problem."

Cloud resumed biting his lower lip as Leon wasn't going to make conversation easy for him this morning. He glanced over to Xander who matched his eye before winking.

"As I was just telling Cloud, I'm really happy for the two of you." Xander started, looking over to Leon who stood up and closed his locker. "I know that he really likes you and it's nice to hear that you two are an item now."

Leon looked to Cloud before looking back at Xander. "Thank you. I kinda had my eye on him too." He reached over and wrapped his arm around Cloud just as Brad approached their little group.

"You two owe me twenty bucks." he announced, looking at Brantley and Xander. He then looked at the couple and nodded. "You two look good together." he said before smiling at Cloud. "I told you within a week, ya?"

Cloud smiled and looked down to the ground. "You bet on us?"

"I had two weeks and Xander said he'd give it a month." Brantley explained.

"This isn't the least bit awkward…" Leon mumbled, looking over to Cloud. "You wanna do something tonight? Zell and Irvine won't leave me alone."

Cloud nodded and looked up at the brunet with a soft smile.

The brunet kissed Cloud's forehead before looking back at the other three. "My roommate and his friend and dying to get a Pong tournament going. You guys want to come by?"

Xander's smile widened with a nod and both Brantley and Brad looked at each other before accepting the invitation.

"I haven't played that game in forever." Brantley said, appearing to gain energy from the invite. "I haven't lost a game!"

"Until tonight, that is." Brad threw in with a grin.

"After school, then?" Cloud asked for clarification earning a nod from Leon.

They all agreed to meet after last period. Cloud felt so light from what had just happened. He and Leon had discussed getting better acquainted with Cloud's school friends but Cloud did realize he was that serious about it. Thinking about it during math, Cloud smiled softly as he tapped his pencil against his notebook. Such a small gesture of inviting them over to his house meant a lot to the blond. Leon just had that way about him; everything was seemingly easy and comfortable. Life for the blond was coming together.

Cloud was knocked out of his thoughts from a soft jolt of his desk. He looked behind him to find Brad holding a note, offering it to the blond. Cloud took it obscurely and turned around in his chair, opening the note down by his lap.

'_You okay with us intruding on your alone time with your new hubby?'_

Cloud grinned and looked up to make sure the teacher wasn't looking his way before placing the note on his desk and responded.

'_I think the Pong tourney will be fun.'_

He passed the note back and felt a jolt on his desk again. He reached back and took the note, opening it again down by his lap.

Brad circled his previous question with a red pen and added a couple of exclamation points.

He wrote back before handing the note back to Brad:

'_YES! I'm fine with you guys hanging out with us. It'll be fun."_

It wasn't even fifteen seconds later before he felt Brad kick his desk again. He reached back but couldn't find the note Brad was presumably passing him. He looked back over his shoulder to find Brad grinning before Brad pointed to the front of the room and mouthed the words 'pay attention'. Cloud narrowed his eyes at his friend before turning around in his seat. He couldn't help but smile as a rush of happiness filled him.

As Cloud made his way back to his locker before lunch he heard some snickering coming from behind him. He chose to ignore it as his mind was otherwise preoccupied with excitement of seeing Leon again, but when the snickering didn't stop and seemed to be following him he turned around to find four guys walking a few feet behind him watching him.

Cloud turned around again, deciding it best not to enquire about what was going on, but when the sound of the snickering came a little closer he spun around and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?" he almost snapped, causing the four boys to stop and stare at him with evil grins.

"You think you're king shit now, don't you?" one of the boys said, stepping forward wearing the same sickening grin.

"Why would I possibly think that?" Cloud said, already annoyed with where this was heading.

The boy took another step closer and stopped as he was a foot away from Cloud. "You know that incident from last Friday isn't going to be good for you, ya?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. He didn't recognize these boys from Tony's usual entourage but it wasn't hard to figure out that they hated him for the same reason why Tony pretended to.

"I assure you, I'm terrified. Now, is there anything else?" Cloud said, startling himself with how much his monotonous disposition reminded him of Leon's.

The boy standing in front of Cloud chuckled before looking back at the others. Their grins widened before the boy looked back at Cloud. "Cocky little bastard, aren't ya? Watch your step, Cloud. Leon can't be around twenty four-seven to save your ass."

Cloud stood up straighter and shook his head. "I got along just fine without him before." He looked around before grinning. "And I don't see him around right now. What's your problem?"

The boy standing in front of Cloud smiled and took a step closer before pulling a knife from his belt. "Do you want to keep talking, Strife?"

Cloud's heart stopped as his eyes dropped to the knife. He wasn't sure what to think at that moment, but '_oh shit, oh shit, oh shit_' was filling in the gap. He wasn't able to lift his eyes from the silver blade as the boy hid it back in his belt and took a step back.

"I didn't think you had anything else to say." he said, turning back to the other boys. He gave a quick nod before the four of them turned and left Cloud staring blankly at the floor.

The blond's heart pounded in his chest and he wasn't sure how to get his body to move again. He took a long, shuddering breath before fisting his hands into tight fists. He slowly turned his head to see if anyone else was around to witness what that guy had shown him and frowned when he found himself in an empty hallway. He could feel his body begin to shake slightly and before he could think too much more of it he began walking quickly to his locker and the safety of a busy hallway.

It took all of his strength not to run and fling himself into Leon's arms when he saw the brunet up ahead, already closing his locker. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn't allow himself to be the damsel in distress. He was gay; not a woman. Even so, the urge tugged at him fiercely so he decided to stay quiet and grab his lunch from his locker as quickly as possible, hoping not to draw any attention to himself.

Leon was always good at reading people, though.

"You okay?"

Cloud looked up at Leon from his crouched position and slapped on a fake smile. "I'm fine."

Leon's eyes narrowed as he stood looking down at the blond. "When will I ever learn to stop asking you that damn question…" he muttered to himself before sighing heavily. "What's bothering you?"

Cloud pursed his lips and rolled his eyes before standing up and closing his locker. "I'm hungry."

It was Leon's turn to roll his eyes before he took Cloud's hand in his own and led them to the cafeteria. "You look like you've seen a ghost." the brunet commented, looking over to Cloud.

"Nope." Cloud responded, smiling as he turned to look back at Leon. "No ghost."

"Now you're being cute to deter me." Leon replied, watching the route ahead as it filled up with other bodies heading to the caf.

Cloud's smile faltered once Leon looked away. He allowed himself to be led to the caf in silence.

Conversation was not lacking when the couple made it to the usual table where Brantley and Xander were already engaged in an excited conversation about next period's science class. Brad listened quietly as he ate his lunch. Cloud sat himself beside Leon once the brunet took his seat and began unpacking his lunch in silence.

Lunch came and went with Cloud, Leon, and Brad listening to the other two chat away. Cloud preferred it this way considering the circumstances. Leon knew something was up and Cloud's denial was probably making the brunet worry more. The blond just couldn't bring himself to run to Leon whenever there was a problem.

His mood began to pick up next period as they partnered up, him and Leon of course, and were given a specimen of a fetal pig that they were to dissect that day.

Leon put on his protective glasses and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves before flipping through his textbook to the assigned page. Cloud grinned as he watched Leon concentrate on his book. The guy could pull off sexy scientist even with the oversized glasses. He was momentarily distracted as he was pulling on his own protective gear by Xander's laughter, Brantley snapping on his rubber gloves and giving Brad a wicked smirk.

"I think he wants you to bend over." Xander giggled to Brad, the latter boy rolling his eyes and focusing on his own fetal pig and partner.

Leon glanced up before his eyes roamed over to Cloud. Cloud's eyes met his and he smiled, not surprised that he couldn't get a read on what Leon was thinking at the moment.

"Immature…" Cloud said loud enough so only Leon could hear.

"We're high school boys, Cloud." Leon responded. "We're supposed to be immature."

Cloud chuckled before snapping his own rubber glove. "Then bend over."

"Later." Leon responded without missing a beat before his attention was drawn to the front of the class where the teacher began talking.

Cloud felt as though his jaw hit the desk with surprise. He couldn't focus on what the teacher was saying as he was shocked with Leon's little joke. The implications, though. So much fun to play with…

It wasn't long before they were instructed to begin their dissection. Leon looked over to Cloud and gestured towards the pig.

"Would you like to have the honour?"

Cloud looked down at the pig and frowned. "Uhh… how about you take this one, ya?"

Leon shrugged before turning the pig onto its back and made the first incision with ease. "What are we looking for?" the brunet asked, eyes focused on the task at hand.

Cloud scanned the section of the question they were assigned. "Dorsal aorta… I think."

"Too easy." Leon said, peeling back the pig's layers without reaction.

Cloud scrunched his nose and look a step back. "Not to be a chick about this or anything, but this is fuckin' gross…"

"Cloud!" the teacher called from across the room. "Language!"

Leon huffed, most likely in amusement but who could tell, and shook his head. "The dorsal aorta is the artery that comes from the heart and distributes all of the blood to the rest of the body." he commented, trying to distract the blond.

Cloud chose to stop watching this massacre and watched Leon's eyes instead. Leon was too absorbed in the dissection to take too much notice. Cloud was alright with that. He was reminded of the weekend as he watched Leon's eyes scan the pool table for his next shot; so aware of what he was doing; so sure of his course of action. It was a sexy trait adding to the somehow sexy accessories Cloud found himself adoring on the brunet. He smiled as Leon narrowed his eyes, focusing on his findings.

"There…" Leon said, glancing up at Cloud briefly before looking back down to the pig. "We got it."

His eyes traveled back up to meet Cloud's when the blond didn't respond, narrowing once more like he was concentrating on reading what was going through Cloud's head.

"Good job…" Cloud said quietly, keeping Leon's gaze steadily. He had no idea what was going on with him right now but he was getting insanely aroused watching Leon at work.

The brunet must have picked up on the heat in Cloud's eyes as he put his scalpel down on the desk and pulled off his rubber gloves. "What are you staring at, Blondie?"

Cloud bit his lower lip and narrowed his eyes. He knew he should be pulling himself out of this trance before the affects became too obvious but it felt so good. His body began to tingle and he knew he was starting stiffen in places that shouldn't be stiffening at school.

Leon kept watching the blond as he pushed the glasses up into his hair, effectively pulling his bangs back with them before a few locks fell back down and framed his eyes.

Cloud let out a small pant. Leon had absolutely no idea how sexy he was; Cloud was almost to the point of drooling.

"What is it?" the brunet asked. "You've been acting a little strange today."

Cloud bit his lower lip and shook his head. "Just watching…"

Leon shifted his stance and rested on his other foot. "Watching me."

"Watching you." Cloud responded, not able to tear his eyes away from the brunet and becoming slightly more aroused.

Leon's eyes darkened with a faint storm before he turned his body to face Cloud. Such a small gesture and yet it had a heavy impact on the blond. A wave of anticipation coursed through his body and seemed to be building up before being interrupted by Brantley's voice.

"Ugh – Xander! Fuck!"

"Brantley! Language!" the teacher shouted across the room.

Both Cloud and Leon turned to see what was going on to find Brantley with slime on his cheek and Xander almost doubled over on the ground in a fit of laughter.

"Pinkish ooze suits you." Cloud said to Brantley with a smile.

"I think I'm about to hurl…" Brantley gasped, wiping the substance from his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt.

"My aim must be off…" Xander said between gasps of laughter. "I was aiming for your mouth."

Cloud looked over at Leon, smile still spread across his face. Leon seemed to be enjoying the situation as well, although it was tough to know for sure. Leon looked back at Cloud, eyes free from the storm that was there moments ago but seemingly softer.

"Immature…" Leon said, lips twitching.

"We're high school boys, Leon." Cloud grinned. "We're supposed to be immature."

Next period was a lot less fun than the last. Aside from not being in Leon's class, let alone any of the others', Cloud hated geometry.

He sighed to himself as he watched the second hand tick slowly around the clock before shaking his head. He asked the teacher for the hall pass before booting it out of the classroom. After finishing up in the bathroom, he took the long route back to class to kill off some extra time. It seemed like a good enough plan to him, although he began rethinking that when he noticed the group of Tony's friends down the hallway.

Before he could turn around and take another route, two of the boys started walking towards him. They'd already seen him; pride wouldn't let him turn back now.

"Why aren't you in class, pretty boy?" one called out as the rest of them started making their way towards the blond.

Cloud stood still as his heart rate picked up. The boy who showed him the knife earlier was one of the ones approaching him and he wondered how much it would damage his pride if he were to just run away.

"It's really too bad you're a fag, Cloud." the one with the knife said lowly. "We wouldn't have to do this otherwise."

"It's really too bad your parents are siblings. You wouldn't be so demented otherwise." Cloud responded, immediately wishing he hadn't as soon as the words left his mouth. Apparently his pride was more important than his life.

"What did you say, asshole?" the boy asked acidly, reaching to his belt and holding the hilt of the knife.

"Deaf, too? Damn, I'm sorry…" Cloud spat back, once again cursing himself for being so hostile.

The boy pulled the knife from his belt and grabbed Cloud by the front of his shirt, holding him inches from his face. "I want a sincere apology for that. Make it good."

Cloud's lips tightened and he remained quiet, starting straight back into the other boy's eyes.

The boy held the blade of the knife to Cloud's stomach and shook the blond slightly, repeating his order with a hiss.

Cloud's stare turned decidedly angry and his jaw clamped shut.

"Lets see what fags are made of, then, shall we?" the boy growled before his eyes rolled back and he dropped to the floor.

Cloud staggered back a few steps and saw the rest of his crew standing back against the lockers looking at a fierce looking Brad holding a gun at his side.

"Brad…?" Cloud asked, eyes dropping to the gun before looking back at his friend. "Where the fuck did you get that? Put it away!"

Brad looked back at the other boys. "Get lost…" As the boys scrambled away Brad lifted the boy with the knife up to his feet and pushed him up against the wall. "Listen to me and listen to me carefully." he growled as the boy's eyes fluttered open. "You and your pathetic posse are to stay the fuck away from him, understand?"

The boy went to reach to the back of his head before Brad slammed him again against the wall.

"Y-yeah… yeah, we'll stay away…" he mumbled before Brad let him go and he staggered away.

Cloud was in near panic for a completely different reason this time. "Why do you have a gun?!" he almost shouted before looking around to see if anyone was within earshot.

"I'm getting rid of it after this little episode." Brad said, shoving the gun into his pants and looking around. "Are you okay?"

"Get rid of it now!" Cloud hissed, eyes meeting with Brad's.

"It's gone, it's gone." Brad replied. "I'm getting rid of it after I know you're okay."

"I'm fine!" Cloud snapped back before looking around again. "Just go!"

Brad examined Cloud's expression before nodding and turning away.

"Brad…" Cloud stopped him, taking his arm in his hand.

Brad looked back and watched the blond's conflicting emotions.

"Thanks…"

Brad nodded and sighed. "It's about time I started standing up for my friend… I'm sorry it took me so long."

Cloud half smiled and shook his head. "Make it up to me by letting me win a game or two tonight?"

Brad's stern expression softened and he nodded once again. "Deal."

"And please don't tell Leon about what just happened?" the blond requested, eyes saddening.

Brad's softened expression disappeared and he frowned deeply. "It's none of my business…" he said after a moment of silence. "You have to tell him some time, though, Cloud. He needs to know what's going on with his boyfriend. It's only fair."

Cloud nodded, mirroring Brad's frown before he let go of his arm. "I'll find a way to tell him."

"See you after school." Brad said. His frowned turned into a smile. "I'll pick up some drinks on my way back from getting rid of this." He patted his pants were the gun was concealed before turning back around and walked out of Cloud's sight.

-o-o-o-

*smiles*

*eye twitch*

I hope you're not all thinking: "It took her a month to write _that_?!"

You're not, are you? *Zack Fair puppy dog pout*


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: Heeey, an update in less than a month! Cool stuff! I have another chapter written as well but I'm going to save that for now. I want to write one or two more in the next few weeks before updating again. That, or I'll just fold and update sooner. We'll see. :o) Please enjoy!

-o-o-o-

Cloud always found it fascinating how someone could feel two very conflicting emotions at one given moment. Theoretically, it didn't make very much sense but that's what was happening to him as he, Leon, Xander, and Brantley walked from school to Leon's house. Conversation between the small group served as background noise, muted by the blond's inner musings at what he was experiencing right now, and if he were to think about it, he probably couldn't guess at what was being said. One of the good things about Brantley and Xander being part of that small group was that they did most of the talking so even if Cloud was fully engaged in the conversation, he probably wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise if he tried. It served him just fine at the moment, though, as his mind was otherwise preoccupied.

He couldn't help but feel somewhat elated that this was actually happening. Besides the obvious, Leon being at his side holding his hand as they walked down the street, it never occurred to him to ask the others to spend time with him outside of school. He really liked these boys but as circumstances would dictate, it was difficult to invite them over to his house with his mother being in the state she was in all the time. He was grateful that Leon took it upon himself to invite the guys over for the evening. Cloud knew Leon thought it was important to keep friends close, but the fact that the brunet would do such a thing for the blond made him feel warm inside. The combination of the two instances made the blond feel that everything was alright in life and that he had no really pressing issues to worry about.

The conflicting emotion he felt that rivaled his sense of utopia was apprehension. He couldn't pinpoint exactly which part of his other situation was worse: Tony's friends assaulting him with a knife, the sense of escalated violence when Tony returned to school, Brad knowing something that Cloud was afraid to tell Leon about, or the simple fact that Brad hadn't been heard from since he left Cloud after the altercation at school. All of these things hovered over the blond's head casting a shadow over his good mood. In the pit of his stomach he felt an intense happiness but the back of his mind kept repeating: _yeah, but…_

He decided when he saw Leon by the lockers that he wasn't going to let these things bring him down today. The problems would still be there tomorrow but this evening's events were happening _this evening_ so it was no use worrying about everything right now.

_Yeah, but…_

Cloud took a deep, quiet breath in and released it slowly to calm his nerves just as Leon looked over at him with concerned eyes. Cloud gave a small smile as he turned his attention to Brantley, who was rather animated as he went on about something or another, a detail Cloud missed because of his inner turmoil. Xander looked back at the couple and rolled his eyes with a grin before launching into a rebuttal.

Cloud looked back at Leon, a smile still apparent on his lips, before he looked down at the ground and kicked a stone forward. He could almost sense Leon's quiet struggle to keep quiet about the blond's off mood and that made him feel bad. He didn't want Leon worrying about him, especially when tonight was meant to be fun.

After a few minutes of walking, listening to Brantley ream Xander out for the incident today in biology to keep himself out of his own mind and worries, Cloud noticed a silence, loud enough to be deafening. He glanced up to find all three of his companions looking at him as they walked on.

"What?" Cloud asked, looking at each of their faces, ending with Leon's expressionless disposition.

"I asked you if Brad said when he thinks he'll join us." Xander said, watching the blond with an almost-worried air about him.

"Oh, umm… yeah, he said he was picking up drinks and he'd meet us at Leon's." Cloud answered, leaving out the main reason for Brad's absence. "I guess it depends on how long it takes him to find a liquor store that won't ID him." he added for good measure, trying to redeem himself for his space-cadet demeanor.

Xander smiled and nodded before initiating another friendly argument with Brantley, who was more than thrilled to participate.

After the argument was underway, Leon slowed his pace causing the blond to do the same. When they were a few meters back from the other two the brunet looked over at Cloud and squeezed his hand.

"Will you talk to me later about what's bothering you?"

Cloud bit his lower lip and attempted a grin. "I'm-"

"Fine, yes." Leon interrupted. "You're fine; I'm fine; we're all fine." He focused back ahead on the other two.

"Leon…" Cloud replied anxiously, an unfamiliar jolt of panic striking his heart at the tone Leon used. "What's wrong?"

Leon's lips tightened slightly and he gave Cloud's hand another gentle squeeze. "You won't talk to me." the brunet replied. "The only conclusion I can draw from this is that you're keeping something from me because you're either afraid of what I might think or because you're afraid of what I might do."

Cloud wanted to respond with another _'I'm okay'_ but he knew that would be close to the worst thing he could possibly say at that moment. Leon was right at guessing that Cloud was hiding something and put that way, it made the blond feel horrible. The blond's chest tightened and his head scrambled for something to say, but outside of the truth there was nothing Cloud could offer him.

"So which is it?" Leon asked, keeping his eyes up ahead.

Cloud looked back at the brunet, unable to hide his frown. "I'm afraid of what you might do…" he answered lowly. He wasn't going to lie, and aside from telling Leon everything, the least he could do was answer his direct questions. He just hoped Leon wouldn't push too hard, not before the evening began.

Leon sighed and nodded his head. Cloud waited for him to ask another question and with each passing second of silence between them, Cloud's anxiety grew into a knot in his stomach.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity for the blond, Leon continued.

"When did you see Brad when he told you he'd meet us later?"

Cloud was about to answer before realizing that that question might reveal what he was trying to hide from Leon if he didn't chose his words wisely. He could open up and tell him what happened or he could answer ambiguously and create more questions and suspicion for Leon. He had to wonder to himself if that was Leon's actual intent. A general approach was safest.

"I ran into him in the hallway when I went to the bathroom during geometry." Cloud answered easily. Well, easily enough, anyhow. He could play _'I'm fine!'_ only to a certain extent when Leon knew that something was going on.

Leon almost seemed disappointed with the response he got, but it was always difficult to tell with him. Maybe, Cloud thought, it was his own mind filling in the blanks since he knew both sides of the story and was trying to hide one of them from his boyfriend. Thinking that to himself made him feel much worse about how their relationship was starting. To him, Leon was exactly what he wanted and here he was keeping something big from him on the very second day. He knew that the only way to make himself feel better about his secret was to share it with the brunet, and he had every intention to do so, just not right now. Not when they were hanging out with the others for an evening that was supposed to be fun.

Cloud figured Leon would understand once he told him; that Leon would forgive the secret for the sake of preserving the enjoyment of the night's events. Leon was reasonable like that, Cloud thought.

Cloud's suspicions were verified when Leon said that Brad should have waited until after they made it to his house; his roommate could get them drinks seeing how he was of age. He said it casually and loud enough so the other two boys heard and responded in agreement as Leon led Cloud back to a pace behind them, rejoining in the conversation that led them home. Cloud remained silent and battled with his conflicting emotions, desperately trying to push his worries and new-found guilt to the back of his mind so he could genuinely enjoy the evening.

-.-.-.-

Conversation did not fall short when the four made it to Leon's house. Zell's eyes lit up when 'Pong tournament' was mentioned and he intermingled with Xander and Brantley famously. Cloud smiled as he wondered how he never saw it before; Zell and Brantley had very similar personalities and Xander could befriend a dust bunny, if he so chose. The blond's mood lifted as he watched Zell introduce Irvine to the others before he wrapped an arm around Cloud and dragged him to the kitchen.

"Help me prepare snacks?" he requested, seemingly pointless seeing how he had already dragged Cloud to the kitchen and was already pulling out items from the refrigerator.

"Sure," Cloud responded. After a moment the blond continued. "You don't mind them being here, do you?"

Zell turned to look at Cloud with creased eyebrows. "Why would I mind?"

"Leon invited them without asking you." Cloud explained, cutting up some veggies.

Zell let out a chuckle and shook his head. "It's all good, Cloud. Irvine practically lives here and Leon doesn't say anything about it."

Cloud bit his lower lip and took a break from cutting up the celery. "Forgive me if this is way out of left field, but are you… I mean, Irvine… are you two… like…"

Zell laughed and paused from mixing the dip he was preparing. "Are we a couple, you mean?"

Cloud's eyes watched Zell without a response, waiting for the other blond to answer.

"No, Cloud. We're not gay." he replied. "Well, I'm not. He could be bi, but I've never seen him with a dude, no."

"Sorry…" Cloud said with a sheepish smile. "He's just always here and you two seem close. I'm stupid, sorry…"

"Don't be." Zell said with a shake of the head. "Nothing wrong with that assumption; he is my best friend. He stays here a lot to stay away from his folks."

Cloud, now very intrigued, waited for Zell to continue.

"You know how it is." was Zell's only response. "Parents suck and if you can avoid them, why stick around?"

Cloud nodded and refocused on the veggies. "I hear you on that."

"He's a lot like you, actually." Zell continued. "His parents aren't the easiest people to be around. His dad is a lot like Leon's; high standards and impossible to please. His ma's _checked out_ most of the time, if you know what I mean."

"It's cool of you to let him stay here." Cloud commented, a little uncomfortable for talking about Irvine behind his back.

"It's what friends do." Zell smiled. "Besides, it's a lot more fun to get into trouble with someone rather than alone, ya?"

Cloud chuckled and nodded before the others joined them in the kitchen.

"We can order a pizza when your other friend gets here." Irvine said, reaching over Cloud's shoulder to grab a celery stick.

"And wings," Zell added, grabbing cheese from the fridge. "And I can make nachos."

"Ah – allow me." Brantley said with a smirk, rubbing his hands together. "Nachos are my specialty."

"Nachos are the easiest thing to make in the history of easy things to make." Xander commented, tilting his head in attempts to be cute.

"And you're an a-" Brantley was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. He chose to let his comment linger with a smirk.

Cloud looked over his shoulder at Leon, who had just left to kitchen to let, presumably, Brad in. The blond caught himself smiling when he heard Brad's voice at the door. A moment later his friend and boyfriend came into the kitchen with two cases of beer, earning a cheer from Zell.

After introductions and food the games began. Cloud could feel his cloud of worries disappear as Leon took on Xander in the first round of Pong, Irvine excited as he developed a scoring system and made a chart to keep track of the scores. Cloud smiled as he watched this mixed group form one; he was thrilled that everyone was getting along so well. As the first game progressed, he felt Brad watching him so he looked over at the almost solemn expression he was receiving. The blond furrowed his eyebrows and Brad tilted his head towards the kitchen, hinting that he wanted to talk in private.

Cloud nodded and stood up from the couch, stretching his legs, before heading towards the kitchen. Brad joined him a few seconds later.

"Everything okay?" Brad asked as he entered the kitchen.

Cloud rolled his eyes and grinned. "Everything's fine. You're starting to sound like Leon."

Brad frowned and made his way to the counter, pulling out a bowl and filling it with the chips he had brought. Cloud bit his lower lip and began searching for a bag of popcorn, making himself appear busy so if someone were to walk in on them they wouldn't question why they both had secretly left to talk.

"_It's_ gone. It thought you might want to know." Brad said after a brief moment of silence.

"Good. And don't ever bring it back to school again, okay?" Cloud responded firmly. "I still can't believe you did that in the first place."

"School's a dangerous place, Cloud. And thank Shiva I brought it or those boys would've…" he let the rest of his comment linger without completion. He sighed before shaking his head. "My cousin was killed at school a few years back."

Cloud looked back at Brad shocked, his hand mid-reach for the bag of popcorn he had discovered. "Goodness… I'm so sorry…"

Brad shook his head. "Thanks. I just… school scares the shit out of me sometimes and knowing what's happening with you – I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Carrying a weapon is a false sense of security." Cloud commented, pulling the popcorn out of the cupboard. "More people are injured by accident from carrying a weap- things like that."

"It worked out for us today." Brad said, eyes trained on the chips in the bowl.

Cloud shook his head. "No, it was my fault. I should've run away or at least shut my mouth. I make it worse sometimes, I think."

Brad snorted and looked over at the blond. "That's what I like about you, though. You're not one to take shit from people."

"But I got myself into this mess in the first place." Cloud said, placing the bag of popcorn in the microwave.

"If you didn't stand up for yourself like you did then they would have found another excuse to use the knife." Brad replied, popping a chip in his mouth.

"We don't know that." Cloud responded, leaning back on the counter with his arms behind him. "Maybe Principal Sephiroth is right; I should do something about it."

Brad shrugged. "I don't know, Cloud. What can you do that won't make things worse for you?"

Cloud lifted a hand and ran it down his face. "I don't know…"

"I just think…" Brad started, pausing briefly before continuing. "I think you should at least tell Leon what's going on."

Cloud shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "He'd kick the shit out of them and get into trouble, if not arrested for assault."

"Explain to him that you don't want him to do anything about it but you felt that he should at least know what's been happening."

Cloud looked down at the floor and sighed. "After Friday, I don't think he's capable of _not_ doing something about it."

"It's just… if anything happened to you, Cloud, I'd feel horrible for knowing about it beforehand and not saying something." Brad said lowly. "I won't say anything to Leon, but I strongly suggest you do. Gods knows he'd probably kick my ass if something happened and he found out that I knew about it all along."

"He knows something's up." Cloud said, ignoring Brad's last comment. "I can't hide things from him; he's just not pushing the matter right now."

Both boys' attention was stolen by Xander, who cursed loudly from the living room before chuckling.

"I think Xander lost." Brad commented, grabbing the bowl of chips. "I think I'm up."

Cloud nodded and looked at the inflated bag of popcorn in the microwave. "I'll be out in a sec."

Brad nodded back at the blond and left the kitchen. Cloud sighed heavily before leaning back against the counter, closing his eyes momentarily to clear his head of the conversation he'd just had with Brad. He was determined to enjoy the evening without worrying about everything, but it was difficult between Leon asking about his weird mood and Brad bringing up the knife incident again. He lowered his head and took another deep, calming breath before his eyes fluttered open, immediately startled by Leon's form standing in the kitchen door sporting his usual nonchalant expression.

"Hey," Cloud said, smiling easily at the sight of his boyfriend. "I thought you won the last game. Why aren't you taking on the next competitor?"

"It's a round-robin." Leon answered, moving to stand in front of Cloud. "Are you having fun?"

Cloud nodded with another easy smile. "Yeah, it's nice to see them outside of school. They get along great with Zell and Irvine, too."

Leon put his hands on Cloud's shoulders and gently drew him into a warm hug, the brunet's arms wrapping around the blond's shoulders, guiding Cloud's face to comfortably rest in the crook of his neck.

The blond's smile widened as he wrapped his arms around Leon's torso and inhaled the all-too familiar, pleasant scent. Even with everything that's been going on, Cloud found himself happily elated by being so close to Leon. He hummed at the back of his throat and closed his eyes, relishing in the warmth he was embraced in.

Leon's head bowed slightly and he brushed the side of his face against Cloud's soft spikes. "I'm glad you're having fun." he said lowly, squeezing Cloud slightly.

"I am, and aren't you?" Cloud asked back, voice on the verge of dreaminess from his current position.

"I am." Leon answered, pulling back slightly to look down at Cloud's face, whose eyes were beginning to flutter open again.

The sound of the microwave beeping to announce the popcorn was ready startled Cloud slightly, causing him to chuckle and look back at Leon. "I'm jumpy, apparently." Cloud made to pull back to get the popcorn out of the microwave but was stopped by Leon's arms which did not loosen any.

Leon's lips tightened slightly. "Where do you think you're going?"

Cloud grinned at Leon's little game, motioning towards the microwave with his head. "Was going to get the popcorn out of the microwave… but…"

"But what?" Leon played along, once more giving Cloud's body a gentle squeeze.

"But I like this better." Cloud replied, pulling close to Leon's body again and resting his head against the brunet's chest.

"I think I like this better, too." Leon responded before receiving a playfully angry glare from his boyfriend.

"You _think_?!" Cloud hissed, not being able to hold back a smile. "Well, if you _think_ you might like your space better, then I should just get lost!"

"Maybe you should." Leon responded, the corner of his lip twitching as his arms loosened around Cloud's shoulders slightly.

Cloud let out a dramatically flustered sigh and shoved Leon back with a chuckle. "Fine, I'm gone." he almost growled, smile widening still, but before his could complete his shove Leon grabbed a hold of the blond's arms and pulled him back roughly, capturing the blond's lips with his own.

Cloud was startled at the suddenness of Leon's attack and pulled back slightly for a breath of air. Leon's eyes searched his when Cloud pulled back but closed again once the blond rejoined their lips in a searing kiss. Cloud wrapped his arms around Leon's shoulders and pulled himself up slightly to get a better angle on the kiss as Leon's arms wrapped around his slightly smaller frame and held him close.

The kiss turned more passionate as both boys began to lose control, tongues exploring each others' mouths before Leon won the dominance war. He stepped close against Cloud, forcing the blond to back up until his backside hit the kitchen counter; Leon then reached down to get a hold of it, lifting him up and plunking him back down on top of the counter without breaking the kiss.

Cloud's eyes shot open when Leon reached down on him and he almost broke the kiss with surprise as Leon effortlessly lifted him onto the counter but a heat swarmed his body at the passionate gesture. Leon's hands snaked themselves back up Cloud's body and rubbed the blond's back muscles systematically, causing said blond's body to shiver in anticipation.

Leon broke the deep kiss moments later and looked up at the panting blond with stormy blue-grey eyes. "Still want to _get lost_?"

Cloud's smile turned downright predatory and his face lunged forward again to _get lost_ in the heat of the moment. He held the back of Leon's head close as he allowed his mouth to be completely dominated by the brunet, moaning slightly as his arousal spiked at Leon's snippy words.

As the kiss progressed, Cloud's head began to swim with what this could turn into if neither of them regained control of what they were doing. He doubted he had the self restraint to stop it and a part of him hoped Leon didn't either. After that quick thought, he discarded it almost too happily and focused back on what Leon's tongue was doing to him. He could feel the front of his pants tightening and wondered if Leon was "suffering" from the same reaction. He didn't care; it felt too good. He opened his legs to draw Leon closer and the brunet seemed to catch on immediately as he stepped in and held his body flush up against Cloud's.

"If you weren't here to make popcorn, you should have given the job to one of us." Brantley's voice sounded from the kitchen door, chuckling as he side-stepped the couple and pulled the bag of popcorn out from the microwave.

Both Leon and Cloud broke the kiss immediately and turned their heads to face Brantley.

"Umm… s-sorry." Cloud stuttered, blushing slightly at their being caught. Leon leaned up and placed a quick peck on Cloud's lips before helping the blond off the counter.

"Don't be sorry, but I'm sure Leon has a bedroom that you guys could… uh, _use_ instead of doing it on the kitchen counter." Brantley chuckled again. "You can't fill the house with the smell of popcorn and not expect someone to find out why it hasn't arrived yet."

Cloud grinned as Leon stepped away to find a bowl. "Yeah… it was an accident."

Brantley snorted and popped a piece of popcorn in his mouth before pouring the contents of the bag into the bowl Leon was holding. "Accident-smaccident. Carry on. I got what I was looking for." He paused and added, "The popcorn… not the show."

Leon rolled his eyes and took Cloud's hand in his own, leading the blond back to the living room to continue the tournament.

It was close to nine-thirty before anyone realized how late it was getting. Seeing how they had school the next morning, it was collectively decided that it was best to call it a night.

Cloud watched how everyone moved to straighten up the mess they had made over the course of the evening, Brantley and Xander in an animated conversation with Zell and Brad chatting with Irvine and Leon as they collected the garbage. Cloud leaned back against the wall and just observed. He couldn't help the smile on his face as the others carried on, looking like a group of friends that have known one each other for years rather than a bunch meeting for the first time that night. It made him feel warm inside that he could feel comfortable calling these boys his friends.

And Leon, gorgeous Leon, talking away like he didn't have a wall around him guarding himself from the world. Were his defenses low or was he actually having that good of time? It didn't matter; the only thing missing from that perfect boy was a smile, something Cloud knew wouldn't happen any time soon. That thought still made the blond smile, though.

Brad, Brantley, and Xander packed up their belongings and said good night, leaving with Irvine who said he'd drive them all home. After the door closed behind them Zell shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned.

"They're a cool bunch of kids."

Cloud playfully narrowed his eyes. "We're not kids, gramps."

Zell raised his eyebrows with a chuckle and shook his head. "Let me know when you need to go home. I'll drive you. I don't have class tomorrow morning so I'll be up late."

Cloud smiled with a 'thanks' as Zell turned and left the couple standing at the front entrance. It didn't dawn on him until after what Zell was implying and his stomach turned into a nervous knot as he looked over at Leon who was watching him closely.

"What?" Cloud asked, hoping to force Leon to decide what happened next.

Leon shook his head before turning around and making his way towards his bedroom. Cloud wondered if he should follow him or suggest he go home now. Leon, as said many, _many_ times before, was difficult to get a read on.

He contemplated his little dilemma for a moment before deciding to follow. He stepped into the brunet's room and closed the door softly behind him.

"Tonight was fun." the blond commented, looking around the room, avoiding Leon's eyes that were practically penetrating him on the spot. "Everyone got along really nice."

"They did." Leon responded, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. He pursed his lips before patting the bed beside him. "C'mere."

Cloud looked nervously over at Leon before his body began to move under its own accord. He took a seat next to Leon and looked over at his boyfriend timidly.

Leon reached over and took Cloud's hand in his own, brushing the back of it with his other hand. "Don't be so nervous, Cloud. I'm not about to molest you."

"That's a shame." Cloud responded without missing a beat, unsure whether he replied that way to seem comfortable or because he actually was disappointed.

Leon shook his head with a huff, most likely in amusement, before resting their hands on his lap. "Will you talk to me now?"

Cloud looked down at the ground and went over in his head the conversation he and Brad had earlier. He still wasn't too sure what he wanted to tell Leon, let alone _how_ he wanted to tell him. It seemed that now was the time and he didn't see any purpose in postponing it any further.

"At school I just had another confrontation with a few guys, friends of Tony's." he started quietly.

"What happened?" Leon asked almost too quickly before biting his own tongue.

Cloud took a deep breath and shook his head. "Its okay." he started, wondering to himself if it really was. "Leon, I need to know I can tell you stuff without you doing something stupid."

There was silence for a brief moment before the brunet sighed. "I don't know, Cloud. It depends on what you tell me."

Cloud looked up at his boyfriend with sad eyes. "I need to know, Leon. I don't want you to get into trouble because of me."

Leon shifted from his spot on the bed so that he was facing the blond. "It depends on what you tell me. I'm not going to let them do things to you and stand by shrugging my shoulders."

"I know that." Cloud said, looking back to the ground. "They didn't hurt me, so don't be thinking that, but they're threatening me. Nothing different from what Tony normally does." Cloud added for good measure in hopes of calming Leon's probable anger. His lie made him feel a little guiltier. "It just caught me off guard because I thought it would stop 'til Tony came back to school."

Leon nodded and looked down at Cloud's hand in his own. "What else?"

Cloud's eyebrows furrowed and he looked up at Leon. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what else aren't you telling me?" the brunet reiterated.

"What makes you think there's anything else?" the blond asked, feeling a sort of panic at Leon's wildly lucky guess or advanced knowledge.

Leon looked straight back into Cloud's eyes, a mild storm brewing in his own. "You looked terrified when I saw you before lunch, Cloud. Something else happened that you're not telling me because based on your experience, I doubt an idle threat would scare you that badly." He tightened his lips and looked back down at Cloud's hand in his own, taking a deep breath.

Cloud was taken aback at the almost-emotion Leon was exhibiting at the moment; talking about Cloud's fear seemed to really strike a cord with the brunet.

Leon took another second before looking back up at Cloud. "I care about you, Cloud. I do, and it bothers me that you aren't telling me the whole of what happened."

Cloud bit his lower lip and shook his head. "Promise me that you won't do anything."

"I can't do that-"

"Promise me, Leon, because I care about you too, a lot, and I won't say anything that I feel might make you get into trouble."

Both Cloud and Leon stared at each other for a moment, judging the stance the other had taken. Cloud crumbled first and looked down at his hand in Leon's. He tugged on Leon's hand and brought it up to his face, placing a kiss against the brunet's knuckles before holding the warmth against his cheek. Leon used his other hand and guided Cloud closer, pulling the blond's body against his own and cradled his head against his chest.

"Cloud…" Leon began, not knowing exactly what he wanted to say next.

Cloud could hear the brunet's heart beat through his chest and smiled as it reminded him of the feeling of the rhythm against his hand when they first kissed. He let Leon's hand go, which immediately wrapped itself around his body as his own arms snaked around the brunet.

"I won't do anything…" Leon said, voice low and seemingly calm.

Cloud looked up at Leon, a small frown playing on his lips. "Promise me…"

Leon bowed his head and kissed the top of the blond's head before nuzzling his nose in the spikes. "I promise I won't do anything without discussing it with you first."

Now that he had Leon's confirmation, Cloud felt reluctant to tell his boyfriend what happened that day. He believed that Leon wouldn't do anything but knowing that he was about to upset his boyfriend with this news made his stomach twist. He took a deep breath and bit his lower lip before sitting up straight, out of Leon's arms, but grabbing hold of them both before the brunet pulled them too far away.

"Tony's friends, they're upset about Friday." the blond began, eyes avoiding Leon's. "They threatened me before lunch. One of them, he…" the blond swallowed to clear his throat. "He had a knife."

Leon's hands tightened around Cloud's but his expression remained impassive, even though the blond knew he felt otherwise. Cloud watched Leon's eyes and wasn't surprised when he saw the familiar storm brewing behind the colour. He gauged the reaction and decided it was somewhat safe to continue.

"I went to the bathroom during geometry and ran into them again, this time running my mouth off like an idiot and the one guy pulled the knife on me again." He paused again and watched Leon's non-existent reaction. If only he could hear the reaction inside the brunet's head. "Brad found us."

"Brad found you…" Leon repeated, eyes trained on the blond.

"Brad… ah geez…" Cloud sighed, shaking his head. "Brad had a gun."

Leon's jaw clenched but his eyes remained impassive, only the wild storm in the background of the colour giving away any emotion whatsoever.

"He got rid of it, but he scared the guys away. That's where he went this afternoon and he told me that I should tell you about this." Cloud began rambling quickly, hoping to relieve some of the anger Leon must be feeling at this moment. "Don't be angry at him; he didn't want to step into our business and the guys said they'd leave me alone, and-"

"Cloud, stop." Leon said, his voice eerily calm. His hands were still holding Cloud's and his grip loosened slightly. "Come here…" he demanded, pulling Cloud close again and wrapping his arms around the blond.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner, but I didn't want you to do anything that-"

"Stop, Cloud." Leon interrupted again. "Enough, okay? It's alright."

Cloud's breathing was coming out a little more quickly than it should and he sighed to level it out again. "You promised me you wouldn't do anything, right?"

"I promised you…" Leon responded, burying his nose in blond spikes again, eyes glazed over with hidden anger, and stared at but didn't see the wall ahead of him.

Cloud cuddled closer to Leon's body and inhaled his scent, sending a calm through his own body. He closed his eyes and sought out the brunet's heart beat again, sighing when he found it. It was beating much faster than it was before. Cloud shuffled closer to Leon and encased himself in brunet's arms, creating his own comfortable shield from the world, even if it was only emotionally.

After a few minutes of silence, Cloud reached a hand up and drew a line down Leon's chest. "Are you angry with me?"

"I'm not angry with you." Leon responded monotonously.

Cloud continued to draw a pattern over Leon's heart. "I didn't want you to be angry. I wanted to preserve the fun from this evening."

Leon's hand idly ran through silky, blond locks but his eyes didn't stray from their spot on the wall. "I'm worried about you." was all the brunet said to that.

"Brad scared them pretty bad. They said they'd leave me alone."

"Brad escalated an escalated situation." Leon said, voice void of any emotion. "I don't blame him; it was necessary to protect you and for that I'm grateful, but since I came to this school, things keep one-upping themselves."

"I'll be extra careful from now on when I'm at school." Cloud said, looking up at his boyfriend with saddened eyes. "I won't go anywhere alone and if I have to then I'll take busy hallways."

"That's not the point…" Leon said, eyes still focusing on the wall. "You shouldn't have to worry like this."

"I shouldn't have to but I'm forced to because they won't leave me alone." Cloud said a little more sharply than he had meant. "Leon, I can hold things together until graduation. I'll be fine afterwards."

There was a deafeningly loud silence that followed Cloud's last comment, something Leon was unhappy to point out.

"You said you'll be fine afterwards."

"Yeah, Leon-"

"As in, you _will_ be fine."

Cloud paused a moment before he caught onto his own admission.

"I _am_ fine."

Leon shook his head and let out a sigh. He pulled back from Cloud and looked down into panicked blue eyes. "Stop saying that."

"Leon-"

"I mean it." Leon interrupted. "Every time you say that you're lying to me. It stops now."

Cloud's eyes widened in shock as he sat up straight and desperately tried to get a handle onto what was happening. "I'm sorry-"

"You're not _fine_, Cloud." Leon almost hissed. "You had a knife pulled on you twice today." Leon's voice started sounding a little angrier with every word. "And you sit here with someone who cares so damn much about you going on about how you're _fine_? I know why you didn't want to tell me right away because, yeah, I would have done something I'd later regret, but don't play hero, Cloud, because being bothered by being threatened with a knife doesn't make you any less of a man."

Cloud's mouth opened to say something but paused mid-motion as his voice wouldn't cooperate. He stared, shocked, at Leon as the brunet's angry words sunk in; his heart taking a beating as every word registered. He drew in a shuttered breath which caught in his throat as he begged for his eyes to hold back the dampness he felt forming there.

Leon's eyes were still blazing at him although they didn't seem as hurtful as his words had been. As much as he tried to justify his own reasoning, Leon's explanation shot every one of them down.

"Cloud…" Leon said, voice softer than it was seconds ago.

Cloud let out his breath and shook his head, eyes welling up with tears. "Leon, I'm terrified."

Leon's eyes softened further. He reached over and grabbed Cloud, pulling his body into his own in a firm, safe embrace.

"I'm terrified, Leon. I'm so scared." Cloud sobbed, the first of his tears escaping from his eyes. "I'm scared at school; I'm scared at home. I just want to live a normal life."

Leon's arms tightened around the blond as he stroked his back softly with one hand.

"I say I'm fine, but that's because this is 'fine' for me. It's bullshit!" Cloud sobbed angrily, tears falling freely. "And when I saw the knife in that guy's hand, I immediately thought _'I knew it would come to this'_. How pathetic is it that I expected this to happen? It's not right!"

"It's not right." Leon restated, lowering his head and planting a couple of kisses against Cloud's forehead.

Cloud continued to sob in Leon's arms. Leon began to rock the blond gently and rubbed soothing circles across his back. A few moments later the blond began to calm down enough to catch his breath.

"What do I do?" Cloud asked dejectedly.

"You tell people around you what is happening." Leon answered immediately. "You tell me. You tell your friends. You tell Principal Sephiroth. The more people, the better. That way people know to watch out for these things in case it happens again."

"They wouldn't be stupid enough to pull anything when people are watching." Cloud threw back weakly, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.

"But if something happens others will be able to back up your account on what happened without having it spring up from the dark, Cloud." Leon responded, planting another kiss on top of the blond's head as his fingers gently helped rid of any tears. "It's the safest thing you can do for yourself."

Cloud let out a deep breath and nodded. "Okay…"

Leon let out his own breath and pulled Cloud closer. "I'm sorry for being so harsh on you just now."

Cloud shook his head and snuggled closer to the brunet. "It's alright. I needed it."

"Stay with me tonight." Leon requested softly, running his hand through Cloud's hair then trailing it down over his back. "I don't want to let you go."

"Then don't." Cloud said, letting his eyes flutter shut as he concentrated on the brunet's heartbeat again.

Leon's arms gave Cloud a gentle squeeze before his sighed softly, burying his nose in blond locks again. Cloud was starting to feel a lot better about what had happened at school. It still scared him and he knew it was all far from over, but somehow sitting in the safety of Leon's arms made it all seem manageable. He knew he could get through it as long as he had Leon by his side.

He slept with a smile on his face, spooned by his boyfriend, in the warmth of the little cocoon they'd made for themselves.

-o-o-o-

Thanks for all of your support! I love hearing what you guys think of this story and it's causing me to think about it obsessively. Sad, ya? I'd love to hear more, so please review!


	17. Chapter 16

A/N: Not a whole lot to say right now. I wanted to thank everyone for sticking with me on this fic. All of your reviews and comments are very much appreciated and they keep me motivated to work on this story with every spare moment I have. Thanks!

-o-o-o-

Cloud sighed, resting his head on his hand which was propped up on the arm of the chair in the dingy principal's office. There must have been an ass-print perfectly formed to his own on this chair seeing how many times he sat there in the last little while. This time, though, he had called for this meeting with the principal instead of the other way around.

The night before was a real eye-opener for Cloud. Leon's harsh words really got through to him and made him realize that things were spiraling out of control in his life. He still planned on keeping very quiet about his home life in fear that the principal would deem it necessary to interfere, but Sephiroth had a right to know that weapons were being brought into his school. He was also planning on keeping his mouth shut about Brad's involvement; he owed him that much and he wasn't about to rat out one of his friends.

After his little breakdown the night before Cloud became incredibly exhausted and him and Leon decided it was time for bed despite the fact that neither had touched their homework after Brad, Brantley, and Xander had left. Even though he was upset about what they had talked about, falling asleep in Leon's arms was pure, utter bliss. The brunet's scent surrounded him and the warmth from his body reminded the blond how lucky he was to have Leon in his life. That luck was tenfold seeing how the brunet felt the same way about him.

Lately he had been waking up every morning with a huge smile on his face, this morning being no exception, as he blearily opened his eyes to blue-grey ones watching him contently. Leon had made him breakfast again and Cloud rolled his eyes at the memory of the grin Zell sported as he walked into the kitchen to find Cloud sitting at the table.

"No need for a ride last night, ya?"

"I fell asleep." Cloud had responded dryly, knowing all too well where this was headed.

"It's not unusual to fall asleep after-" and Zell was immediately cut off by a slice of mango hitting the side of his head courtesy of Leon.

"Like I've said before, you would've heard us if _that_ was the case." the brunet shot back light-heartedly causing the blond to blush.

Cloud smiled before looking around to see if anyone else in the principal's office noticed his dreamy smile. He wiped it off his face and looked at the time just as the principal's office door opened.

"Cloud, come in." Sephiroth said, moving aside from the door to allow the blond to pass. "I must say, I'm surprised that you wanted to talk. What's going on?"

Cloud took his usual seat across from the principal's desk and sat back. "I guess I just wanted to you know what's been going on."

Sephiroth took his seat and leaned forward on his desk, maybe looking a little too eager about what he expected Cloud to say. "Go on."

"It's about what happened last Friday." Cloud began, noticing Sephiroth's changed demeanor almost immediately. "Tony and them being suspended."

"What's going on regarding that?" the principal asked, sitting back in his chair.

"I think what happened on Friday made things worse for me here at school." Cloud continued. "Leon starting the fight and Tony being suspended, it made a few people really mad."

"Who's upset?" the principal asked, seemingly wanting to get straight to the point.

"I don't know who they are." Cloud answered. "I just know that they're upset about Friday and I thought you should know that the threats are escalating."

"Escalating how, Cloud?" Sephiroth said, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper.

"One of them brought a knife to school yesterday and threatened me with it." the blond explained, feeling like a second-grade tattle-tale. "I don't want to pursue it, but Leon said I should tell people about this just in case something… well, if something happens I want people to know when it all started."

"Cloud, when did this happen?" Sephiroth asked after seeming to come out of shock. "Where and when?"

Cloud shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "In the afternoon during my geometry class down by Wing E."

"Who was involved?" the principal asked next, scribbling down some notes.

"I don't know. Look, I don't want to pursue this, I just wanted to let you know." Cloud replied, taking a deep breath and all of a sudden itching to get out of there.

Sephiroth put down his pen and sighed. "I suppose you aren't going to pursue this for the same reason you won't pursue anything else."

Cloud nodded and felt tired all of a sudden. "Leon just told me that I should be telling people about this kind of stuff; that's all I'm here for."

"You are Leon are becoming really good friends." Sephiroth said, his voice hinting at maybe a little disapproval. It didn't go unnoticed by Cloud. "That's a good thing. He seems to care about your well-being."

"I'd hope so." Cloud said, amusement playing on his tone. "We're together now."

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows and forced a smile, and although his smile looked forced, Cloud appreciated the effort. "That's nice to here. I kind of figured you liked him."

Cloud shrugged and cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, well, I did what I came here to do."

"Wait one moment, Cloud, please." Sephiroth requested, holding a hand up in the air. "I was hoping to maybe discuss one more issue before you leave."

Cloud made himself comfortable once again and watched the principal as he looked down at the paper in front of him.

"It's about your home life, Cloud." the principal began.

Leon's warnings about what could happen if the principal caught wind of what his home life was like echoed in Cloud's mind and Cloud could feel his wall being thrown up instantly.

"Go on…" Cloud said almost icily.

"I was just wondering how things are going." Sephiroth asked in a friendly tone, probably sensing Cloud's security system the second he opened his mouth. "How is your mother?"

"Fine," Cloud answered immediately, choosing not to elaborate any further. Sephiroth had to have realized the game Cloud was playing now.

"What is she up to these days?" Sephiroth asked casually.

"This and that." Cloud responded shortly, not offering any other indication as to whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Sephiroth caught his drift and shook his head. "I know things can be hard at home, Cloud, but you need to understand that I'm here to help you."

"Thanks," Cloud replied.

The principal took a deep breath. "I suppose Leon told you what would happen if you told me about your problems at home. Being through it himself, it's understandable why he would advise you, but it's not a bad thing, Cloud. Look at what happened for Leon; it was a very positive experience."

Cloud pursed his lips and nodded without committing to an opinion. "Okay."

"I want to help you like Leon's old principal helped him, but I can't do anything unless you tell me what's happening to you at home."

Cloud smiled showing Sephiroth that nothing was penetrating his shield. "Leon's been a gift from Shiva since he's arrived. There's nothing I can't handle when I have him by my side."

"He won't be able to protect you when you're at home, Cloud." the principal pointed out.

"He takes me away from home when things get bad." Cloud said, catching his breath at the admission that things were, in fact, bad at home. He cursed himself in his head and his eyes must have betrayed him since Principal Sephiroth was watching him very closely.

"What happens at home before he takes you away?"

Cloud watched Sephiroth's expression change to concerned and he tried his damnedest not to look so scared at his admission.

"At what point do you go home with Leon?" the principal asked.

"At home?" Cloud said, deciding to play dumb blond. What a tactful defense… "Things are fine at home."

Sephiroth sighed and shook his head. "Cloud, please, I-"

"You are trying to help." Cloud finished for him. "I know and thank you, but things are alright." The blond got up from his chair and began heading for the door before stopping and turning around to face the principal. "I'll keep you posted on the knife situation and maybe get some names for you." With that he left the office leaving a very flustered principal behind.

-.-.-.-

Somehow Cloud felt good about his conversation with the principal despite his slip up admitting that something bad was going on at home. He wondered if that was enough for the principal to act upon or if they would need something more solid to go on if they chose to take action. He would have to ask Leon about that later.

He felt good, though, and he wasn't sure if it was because he did the right thing or if it was because he did something Leon suggested he do. Either way, he would talk to Leon about it later. That seemed to be his answer for everything lately.

He met up with the guys at the cafeteria for lunch and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that Leon hadn't arrived yet. He was looking forward to telling him about the conversation he'd just had with the principal along with letting Brad know that he did end up talking to Leon about it. He could fill the other two in on what had happened too, but he wanted to wait for Leon first.

He was greeted with an energetic, happy welcome when he took his seat and smiled at the boys. Things felt a little different after the night before, in a good way. Somehow he felt a little closer to the boys he'd only ever considered school acquaintances in the past.

Brantley talked and talked and Cloud couldn't help but look around every couple of seconds hoping to catch sight of the person he was most anxious to see. After a few Leon-free moments, he frowned to himself and looked down at his lunch.

Xander smiled and huffed. Cloud looked up to see what that was all about before a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders followed by a kiss to the side of his face. Cloud smiled and huffed back at Xander before looking up over his shoulder as Leon took a seat beside him, Eric taking the seat across from the brunet.

"Heya Cloud!" Eric said with a friendly smile. "Leon told me the great news! I'm so happy for you two."

Cloud's smile threatened to split his face in two as he blushed. "Thanks."

Leon looked up and flicked his wrist towards the other three. "That's Brad, Xander, and Brantley. This is Eric."

"Nice to put a name to the face." Eric smiled. "Nice to meet you all."

"Ignore that one, though." Leon added, motioning towards Brantley, looking as though he was fending off a smile.

All of a sudden something struck Cloud's leg hard and he almost yelped in surprise. Brantley's face fell before he started giggling an apology to Cloud, attempting to say he had meant to hit Leon but failed.

Cloud reached down and rubbed his leg, playfully glaring at Brantley in the process. "No hurting my boyfriend without my direct consent, got it?"

Brantley was still chuckling as he nodded. "Permission to throw a carrot at your boyfriend, Strife?"

"You may proceed." Cloud answered, focusing on his food to distract himself from the glare he was probably receiving from Leon.

The boys all laughed at the bickering that was going on, all but Leon, as they enjoyed their lunch together. Cloud was at first shocked to see Eric join in but the guy didn't bother him too much anymore now that he had Leon for himself. He couldn't get around it; Eric was just a really nice guy.

Cloud took a deep breath as the others began settling down and looked over at the brunet. "I spoke with Principal Sephiroth today." he started, watching for some form of reaction. Any form of reaction. Of course, he got none.

"What did he say?" Leon asked between bites.

"He seemed concerned but then started on about my mother." the blond answered.

"What happened?" Xander asked, eyes narrowed with confusion.

Cloud glanced up at Brad who was watching with an air of approval. The blond gave him a half-hearted smiled before looking down at his food again.

"Some of Tony's friends are pissed off about Friday." Cloud began. "They threatened me with a knife yesterday."

"Shit!" Eric cursed loudly before looking around and lowering his voice. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Cloud nodded as he cast a glance at Eric before his eyes dropped back down to his food. "Brad found us before they did anything. I'm not hurt, but I just wanted people to know."

Xander reached across the table and placed a hand on Cloud's arm with nothing short of pure worry spread across his features. "What's going to happen with them?"

Cloud shook his head before noticing Leon's eyes trained on Xander's hand. He brushed it off as harmless before he answered. "Nothing right now, but if something does happen to me at least you guys know."

"Something's got to happen to them." Brantley added, rubbing his forehead with his hand before dropping this arm to the table. "Brad, why didn't you tell us?"

"He wanted time to think it through before talking to Leon." Brad said, motioning towards Cloud. "I didn't want to interfere."

"You could have gotten hurt, too." Xander said, pulling his hand back from Cloud and crossing his arms on the table. "This is scary shit."

"They wouldn't have touched me." Brad said before looking to Cloud.

"They could have." Leon said shortly, eyes looking down at his unfinished food.

Brad's eyes focused on the brunet with their own impassive expression before he continued. "I won't let him go at it alone. The least I could do is to be there with him."

Cloud all of a sudden felt a rush of emotion and he quietly took in a deep breath to relieve the aching he felt in his chest. He wasn't sure where it came from, but it definitely wasn't an expected thing. He just kept his eyes down.

"Yeah, fuck them. If they want to gang up on Cloud then they'll have to deal with all of us." Brantley added, voice sounding angry which was so unlike him.

"We're not picking fights, here." Leon said, looking up at Brantley with stormy blue-gray eyes.

"No, we aren't. But we're not letting him fight alone if it all boils down to it." Xander replied, earning an almost-glare from Leon.

"Please… stop." Cloud said lowly, not attraction much attention from anyone at their table.

"I just don't want you guys to get over-eager and start shit with them because of yesterday." Leon said. "I just thought… _we_ thought it would be best to just let you guys know what's going on."

"The more that know, the better." Eric added with a nod. "We can at least keep our eyes open just in case."

"Guys…" Cloud said weakly, shaking his head.

"Yeah, keep our eyes open and fuckin' rip their heads off if they come after Cloud again." Brantley said, pounding his palm with his fist.

"Don't be wreckless." Brad said, popping a grape into his mouth. "This isn't a battlefield. Calm down."

"No fighting." Leon said sternly. "Just take the knowledge and file it away. That's all."

Cloud sighed to himself and rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"No fighting?" Brantley asked, raising his eyebrows. "And what are we to do when they pull a knife on Cloud again?"

"Stop. Please…" Cloud said again, voice not reaching any of the others.

"Call for help, yell, cause a commotion." Eric listed, ticking off options with his fingers.

"Stop it-" Cloud said a little louder but was cut off by Xander who sighed heavily and crossed his arms.

"Those assholes need to learn a lesson or two."

"Pull a knife on Strife again and they'll learn it pretty quickly." Brantley replied.

"Stop it!" Cloud yelled, causing the entire table except for Leon to jump in surprise. "Just stop it! I didn't want to say anything for this reason exactly! We're not planning a war; I don't need help; I just wanted you to know, that's all, but now I regret saying anything to any one of you."

Cloud clenched his jaw as the words poured out of his mouth. He immediately regretted saying it the second his last sentence was uttered, but there was no taking it back now. He avoided looking over at Leon like the plague.

After a second of silence, Cloud cracked his knuckles and stood up.

"I'll see you later."

"Cloud, we're sorry." Eric said sincerely, standing up as well.

"Cloud…" Leon said, looking over his shoulder at the blond who looked back down at him bravely. The brunet stood up and shook his head. "Ever the immovable pride... This-" he said, motioning towards the boys at the table. "This is okay. They care about you."

"I don't want…" the blond began before sighing. "I…"

"Don't want…" Leon coaxed.

The blond shook his head before rubbing his eyes again with one hand. "I…" He sighed.

"You… don't want?" Leon coaxed once more, placing a hand on the blond's shoulder.

Cloud frowned and dropped his hand, looking at the other boys. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Eric looked over to Brad, who then exchanged glances with Xander and Brantley. Eric frowned and tilted his head. "What would you do if Tony's friends pulled a knife on one of them?" he asked, motioning towards the other three.

A look of anger crossed Cloud's previously defeated expression. "I'd kill them."

Eric's lips formed a knowing smile and he nodded. Leon glanced from Eric to Cloud and took a step closer to the blond. "Why?"

Cloud looked over at Leon with a bewildered look. "Because they were threatening my friends."

Leon nodded and wrapped his arm around the blond's waist.

Brad took a deep breath before resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "And you expect us to sit around shrugging our shoulders when they're doing it to you?"

Cloud looked over at Brad's almost impassive expression, eyes full of sorrow.

"Double standards don't work, Cloud." Xander added, offering a soft smile to the blond. "You can't expect that from us when you know you wouldn't just stand by if it were happening to us."

"I just don't want you guys to get hurt." Cloud said weakly, looking down to the ground.

"And we don't want you to get hurt." Brantley said, hitting the point home. "We're sorry we never did anything about it sooner."

"Don't apologize…" Cloud said, voice still barely over a whisper. "It was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault, Cloud." Eric said, glancing from the blond to Leon then back to the blond again. "You have a lot of pride and were always forced to go at it alone. Not anymore." Eric shifted his stance and tilted his head once more. "You have us and you can be damned sure that we're never going to turn a blind eye on what's going on."

Cloud raised both hands to his face and rubbed at it furiously, attempting to relieve some of the tension there. Leon grabbed both of his wrists and pulled the blond's hands from his face, staring directly into his eyes. "We never meant to upset you, Cloud. Truth is, and I don't know if I am speaking for everyone here, but we're scared for your safety."

Cloud shook his head. "Don't be…"

"Cloud-" Leon started before being interrupted.

"Just… I'll be…" he chose not to complete that sentence. It would only anger Leon.

There was a moment of silence before Leon spoke again.

"Good call."

Cloud looked over at the brunet with confused eyes. "What's a good call?"

"Not finishing what you were about to say." Leon clarified before pulling Cloud into a hug. Cloud felt a little uncomfortable, standing in the middle of the cafeteria being held by his boyfriend while his friends watched, but Leon's scent registered and washed away all of his worries.

-.-.-.-

It was a difficult decision to make, but Cloud thought it would be best for him in the long run to return home that night. Leon had asked him whether he wanted to come over to catch up on homework together, but Cloud thought it best to at least make an appearance at home so his mother wouldn't flip out on him later. The brunet took his decision with grace although Cloud could tell by looking in his eyes that Leon was a little uncomfortable with the idea of Cloud being in the same house as his mother. It was unavoidable, though, so the brunet walked Cloud home.

"I suppose you know what I'm going to say next." Leon said once the couple had stopped walking, standing by the curb in front of Cloud's house.

Cloud looked down at his hand in Leon's with a weak grin. "I'm to call you if things get bad."

Leon looked at Cloud for a moment before gently tugging on his hand. "Or if you get lonely."

"Or if I get lonely." Cloud repeated, looking back up into the brunet's eyes. "I will."

Leon nodded, eyes searching those of the blond. "Good night, then."

Cloud wondered if he should lean up and give Leon a kiss, but because the brunet was making no indication that he was expecting a kiss, the blond hesitated. Blue eyes examined blue-grey as both boys stood on the street hand in hand.

"Good night." Cloud finally responded, trying to hide his frown. He went to pull his hand from Leon's when Leon's hands tightened around his.

"Don't be foolish." he said, pulling Cloud closer to his own body. "You're not leaving before I get a kiss."

Cloud smiled a relieved smile as his eyes shone with happiness. "I didn't know if you wanted one." he explained, stepping closer to the brunet.

"I said don't be foolish." the brunet reiterated. "I was waiting to see if you'd ever make the first move, but I guess not." With that, Leon leaned over and captured the blond's lips with his own.

Cloud began to ponder at what Leon had meant about him never making the first move but his train of thought was soon taken hostage by the passion-filled kiss that made his body burn for something else. He lost himself in the kiss and reached up to wrap his arms around the brunet's neck, the brunet wrapping his own arms around the blond's body as he deepened the kiss. He, too, felt the need growing between them.

The kiss lasted minutes before the blond pulled back for some much needed air and Leon rested his head against Cloud's.

"I think I'm going to miss you tonight." Cloud said between gasps.

Leon's eyes looked up into Cloud's own, a hint of a storm brewing behind the colour. "Like I said before, you can always come home with me."

"Don't make me regret my decision." Cloud said with a pout. "I want to, Leon; I just think it would be bad for me not to go home tonight."

Leon lifted his head from Cloud's and stood a little straighter. "I understand. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

A delicate smile played across the blond's lips as he nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

His heart ached as he closed the door behind him. Watching Leon walk away from his house when the blond could have easily followed him home was a tough decision to make but he knew he had to do it eventually. He leaned back on the door and closed his eyes as he focused on how his lips still tingled from the kiss they shared moments before. His train of thought then shifted to his mother when he heard her talking pleasantly in the living room.

He listened for a moment longer before curiousity got the better of him. She was actually having a conversation with someone. Cloud kicked off his boots and dropped his bag before entering the living room.

"And there he is!" she said excitedly, standing up from the couch and making her way towards him. She looked… happy? "This is my son, Cloud."

Cloud looked at the two guests sitting on the loveseat opposite of the couch, a woman and what appeared to be her daughter judging by their matching eyes. _This can't be good… _the blond thought as his mother wrapped her arm around his back.

"This is my friend, Karen, and her daughter, _Lizzie_." his mother explained, almost cooing _Lizzie's_ name. "I've told them all about you and was hoping that maybe you could take Lizzie out this weekend and show her around."

Cloud took a moment to process this before the pit of his stomach dropped. His mother was setting him up on a date.

"Show her around?" Cloud asked, closing his eyes for a bit longer than a standard blind before explaining himself. "You guys new in town?"

Karen grinned at Cloud and nodded her head. "Your mother and I were friends in high school and just got reacquainted. Lizzie and I just moved here a week ago and she's trying to meet new people."

Cloud faked a smile and looked at Lizzie. "Nice to meet you. Uh…" He looked back at his mother and flinched as he felt her pinch the small of his back. "Sure… I mean, I don't know a lot of great places around here but I can take you out, I mean… umm… show you a few spots." He silently sighed at himself for being much less than graceful before dropping his eyes to the ground."

"Maybe there'll be a love connection!" Cloud's mother chimed, smiling widely. Lizzie looked just as embarrassed as Cloud felt.

"Mom…" Cloud started before she ushered him further into the living room.

"What, baby? She's really very pretty!"

Cloud tightened his lips as a familiar angry grew in his chest. He wondered if this was her way of 'setting him straight', full pun intended.

"You don't have to…" Lizzie said, noticing Cloud's discomfort while trying to sound as casual as possible.

"No, it's fine." Cloud said, looking back at Lizzie with another fake smile. "Just - don't be offended if there really is no love connection. I'm gay."

Lizzie simply nodded while both Karen and his mother's jaw dropped. Karen was quicker to recover to a somewhat normal expression where his mother's turned to anger.

"Cloud! Don't say such things!"

Cloud looked back at his mother and shook his head. "You'll never except that; that's fine, but don't play match maker if you're going to bring home girls. I'm not interested." he quickly shot Lizzie an apologetic look. "No offense." Lizzie shook her head then looked to the ground in attempts to ignore the conflict unfolding before them. "Might as well forget bringing home boys for me as well, now that I think of it," Cloud began, looking back at his mother. "I _have_ a boyfriend."

The look on Cloud's mother's face could only be described as an expertly blended mix of anger, disgust, and more anger.

"I don't mean to be rude," Cloud added, looking back at their guests. "But I have a lot of homework to catch up on. It was nice meeting you, and I'm so sorry for… this." he said, motioning between his mother and him. "Have a good night."

With that, Cloud unhooked himself from his mother's arm and trotted upstairs, being sure to swipe his bag from the floor so he wouldn't have to come back down for it later.

He didn't know what happened after he'd left the women in the living room but he was sure he was going to hear about it later. Right now, he couldn't care less. The very obvious way his mother was trying to use Lizzie to guilt him into going a date with a girl angered him and he was proud with how well he rebounded with telling her about his relationship status. He was also sure he was going to hear about that one later as well.

The blond buried himself in his homework and time ticked on without him taking too much notice. It wasn't until he heard a crash downstairs before he realized that the guests had already left and by the sound of the commotion, his mother was already drunk, or high, or whatever.

"Cloud Strife! You get down here this instant!" she screamed from the foot of the stairs, her voice slurring only enough to tell him that his suspicions were correct.

He rolled his eyes and closed his textbook before making is way to the top of the stairs. "What?!" he shouted back a little more sternly than he had intended. He was so damn frustrated.

"Get your ass down here!" she screamed unnecessarily loud. "Now!"

Cloud made his way slowly down the stairs and stopped a few steps up when he realized that she wasn't moving. "I wasn't rude to them." he explained, watching his mother's motions carefully.

"You embarrassed me!" she screamed back. "You couldn't have just gone on one fucking date with Lizzie to make your mother happy?"

"I'm gay!" Cloud shouted back, holding the railing tightly. "I'm sorry if that's so hard for you to swallow but you're not going to change that fact and until you accept it-" He was immediately cut off by something blunt hitting him on the side of his head. He scrambled to catch his balance thankful that he was holding onto the railing. It gave him the leverage to pull himself out of the way when the rolling pin came down hard again, striking the stair beside him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted but his voice didn't hold the strength it had previously.

"I hate you!" she screamed, swinging the pin again, this time connecting with his wrist.

Cloud pulled his wrist back and cradled it with his other hand, looking up at his mother in total shock and confusion.

"I hate you!" she screamed again, storming into the kitchen sobbing to herself as if she were the one just assaulted with a rolling pin.

Cloud sat on the stairs with his wrist in his hand as her words sunk in. For some reason, this time they sunk deeper than they normally did. His chest tightened and he fought back the tears that started forming in his eyes and his head started throbbing from where she hit him.

He could hear her banging around in the kitchen but all he could register was her words and the pure hate he saw coming from her eyes as she looked upon her son. Cloud let out a weak breath as he slowly stood from the stair he was sitting on and stared at the kitchen entrance. She _hated_ him.

Cloud shook his head weakly and opened his mouth but found himself stunned at how much her words hurt him compared to his fresh injuries. He contemplated following her into the kitchen and looking for a sign that she didn't hate him, but instead his legs carried him slowly up the stairs and into his room as if on autopilot.

Once the door closed behind him his chest tightened worse and he found it harder not to cry, but somehow he kept his tears at bay. He locked his door and floated to his bed, sitting down with his wrist still in his hand.

He looked down at his wrist, which was already beginning to bruise, and winced as he tried to move it. He bit his lower lip and examined it a little longer before looking up into the mirror on his dresser. There was an obvious mark left behind from where she hit him the first time, but his worries about that quickly faded when he caught sight of his eyes in his reflection.

For a moment he sat there on his bed staring at his eyes in his reflection. His hand momentarily tightened around his wrist before he let it go and stood up from his bed, still entranced by his own eyes. He slowly took one step towards his dresser before stopping, eyes shifting from his own to the bruise forming on his brow before refocusing on their own reflection again. He took another step, then another until he stood in front of the mirror searching for something within his crystal blue eyes. He finally realized what he was searching for.

What was it about him that made it so impossible for anyone to love him? His chest tightened as his mother's words echoed through his head again and he watched as his eyes filled up with tears again. Why didn't anyone love him? His mother's words, screamed from a long time building anger, were no doubt true. He could see it in her eyes that she had meant it. She hated him; probably more than he realized. She never accepted him for who he was and when she failed at her attempts to change him, or even just talking about who he was, her loathing overflowed like water out of a dam.

His father must have felt the same way. Cloud always tried to tell himself it was because of his mother that his father left, but from the moment the man walked out the door the blond never heard from him again. Not one call; not one letter. His father probably hadn't even thought about him since the last time he laid eyes on him, and even then, he probably felt nothing but disappointment. Disappointed in his son that would never marry some pretty girl and start a family. Disappointed that Cloud would never grow up the way he expected him to.

What was it about him that made him so unlovable? Cloud continued to search his own eyes for a sign or a clue for this question but nothing appeared to offer an answer. He hated himself for not understanding what was so wrong with him. His jaw clenched as he stared at himself. He shook his head and blinked back a few tears threatening to spill.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he whispered to himself, now glaring at his own reflection. "Why can't they love you?"

Leon. Cloud's breath hitched as he thought of the brunet and a tear managed to escape his eye. "He can't love you either." the blond whispered, lips trembling at his admission. Leon didn't believe in love. "Maybe he just can't love _you_." he said lowly, voice shaking as he ripped his own heart into pieces. "He can see right through you. He knows I'm unlovable." he told himself, tears falling freely from his eyes now.

Cloud's breath caught in his throat as he let out a sob, closing his eyes only to release more tears. "He will never love me." he repeated, knees going weak. He lowered himself to the floor as his sobbing turned more violent. "Oh Gods…"

The blond gasped as he tried to pull in air but the tightening in his chest made the task difficult. He lifted his shaking hands and rubbed furiously at his eyes, pain from his damaged wrist shooting up his arm, as he sat there on the floor crying harder than he ever remembered doing before.

His body trembled as a chill took to his spine. He lowered his hands and wrapped them around his body, searching for some sort of comfort in the warmth it provided. His crying slowed to a soft sob as he looked around his room.

"Leon… please…" he said aloud as his eyes searched for nothing in particular. "I love you…" His body took to another tremble and he shifted his weight, feeling a pressure against his thigh. He looked down and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and stared at it for a moment before flipping it open.

He scrolled down until he found Leon's name and stared at it. His heart beat picked up pace and another sob escaped his lips. Just thinking about the brunet hurt his heart and caused a few more tears to fall from his eyes.

He continued to look at the brunet's name and the urge to hear his voice grew strong. The blond shook his head before closing his phone, immediately becoming frustrated with himself. He flipped open the phone again and scrolled down to Leon's name before pausing.

He just needed to hear Leon's voice.

He pushed the dial button and put the phone to his ear. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself and cleared his throat in hopes that that would be enough to make him sound normal again. It was all undone when the line connected and a velvety, calm voice said 'hey'.

"Leon…" the blond sobbed as tears immediately slipped from his eyes, his voice barely making it out from his throat.

"Cloud, I'll be right there. Hang on." the brunet spoke firmly before he hung up.

Cloud cried violently as he waited for the brunet to arrive.

-o-o-o-

I hate myself sometimes for being so cruel to Cloud, but I can't help myself. My plushy Cloud is getting so many more huggles because of this story. *sad sigh* But drama is good.

Let me know what you thought. Please review!


	18. Chapter 17

A/N: Wow, updates aren't taking nearly as long as they used to. I have one more chapter written after this one and hope to get another one underway today. I'm going to have a little more free time in the upcoming week to write, so that makes me a happy girl. I hope you enjoy this next chapter and I feel like I should mention that if you don't like yaoi, why the hell are you reading my story?! :S That being said, if you do like yaoi, you may get some enjoyment out of this chapter. Just throwing it out there "randomly" since I don't have too much of a warning system in place for my stories.

I still feel pretty bad about the way I've been treating Cloud in this story but as I said, I like the drama and angst. Unfortunately, Cloud isn't all better just yet and… I wonder what happens next? Oh, look! Story! Go read (and review)!

-o-o-o-

It didn't take very long for Leon to arrive at Cloud's house. It only felt like five minutes before the blond heard a quiet tapping on his bedroom window.

After Leon had hung up the phone Cloud couldn't control his emotions anymore. He cried so hard and now that he had calmed down enough, he could feel how his eyes were swollen and the energy from his body had completely deserted him. He didn't have the energy to move from his spot on the floor and he sat there, after his crying had ceased, and zoned out completely.

He came out of it when he heard the tapping on his window, his head slowly turning towards the glass with his eyes dulled of any emotion. It didn't register how indifferent he felt to see Leon's nonchalant face looking at him from the other side.

He slowly pulled himself to his feet, wincing slightly as he put too much pressure on his injured wrist, and steadied himself before moving towards the window. Once he got there he lifted the window up and turned his back, making his way to the edge of the bed and sitting down lightly, eyes finding their way to the floor.

Leon climbed into Cloud's bedroom, eyes not leaving the blond, and rushed towards Cloud. He crouched down between Cloud's legs and cradled the blond's face with both hands. "What happened?" the brunet whispered, eyes scanning the defeated look on his boyfriend's face, the bruise forming on his brow angering the brunet but other matters more important at the moment.

Cloud blinked once then shook his head before answering in a low voice. "I don't even know…"

"Cloud…" Leon said, his voice remaining impassive though his eyes showing a strong concern for the blond. One of his hands ran itself through the blond's hair and the other came down to rest on one of Cloud's knees. "Are you alright?" There was something very off about the way Cloud looked at the moment and that made the brunet nervous.

"I don't even know…" the blond answered in the same flat tone he used last. His eyes hadn't moved from the floor once since Leon came into his bedroom.

Leon placed his knees down to the ground and arched up, pulling the blond with both hands into a tight hug. Cloud didn't respond but let himself be moved, Leon's embrace having no impact on him at the moment. That didn't deter Leon, though, as he held his boyfriend, burying his nose in the crook of Cloud's neck and placing a couple of kisses there.

"What did she do to you?" Leon asked, not moving from his position.

"Attacked me with a rolling pin." Cloud answered with a dull voice, still not reacting to Leon's protective hold on him.

Leon pulled back and searched the blond's face once again, noting the bruise on his head again before searching for more indication of other injuries Cloud may have received. "I'm so sorry I let you come home." the brunet whispered, eyes examining Cloud's wrist. He swore he saw the blond flinch when he pulled himself up from the floor.

"It's not your fault…" Cloud responded lowly, eyes still staring blankly to the floor.

Leon soothed his hands down Cloud's arms and pulled up both sleeves, a bruise revealing itself on his left wrist. He took Cloud's left hand in his own and gently ran his fingers over the wrist. His eyes scanned the bruise before he softly began moving Cloud's wrist to determine the extent of the injury. Cloud winced again as his eyes finally moved from the floor to his wrist, watching the brunet's examination. Leon pressed his fingers lightly at different points before taking a deep breath.

"I think it's sprained."

Cloud didn't respond to this, his eyes now locked on his wrist with no plans of looking at anything else at the moment. He hadn't even looked up at Leon.

"Pack your things. You're coming home with me." Leon said, bringing Cloud's wrist up to his lips and placing a lingering kiss against the darkened flesh.

Cloud's eyes followed his wrist up to the brunet's lips before his eyes shifted and took in the sight of an unusual mix of expressionlessness and concern playing in Leon's eyes. The blond searched Leon's face, not complying with the brunet's demand. He briefly wondered to himself why he wasn't feeling better; Leon usually had that effect on him.

_Leon could never love you…_

Cloud's heart contracted as that thought crossed his mind. He didn't doubt that Leon cared about him but after what had happened between his mother and him, he wanted nothing more than to hear those three magic words that can make someone's life complete.

Leon's eyes met dulled blue ones and he tilted his head. "Tell me what you're thinking about right now."

Cloud's eyes latched onto stormy blue-gray before he shook his head. "Nothing…"

Leon's lips pursed together and he shook his head. He stood up from the floor, Cloud's hand still in his own, and let out a gentle sigh. "Let me take you away from here. Will you come home with me?"

Cloud's heart throbbed at the request and he wanted so badly to read more into it than there really was. He wanted the reason behind the request to be because of love; not protectiveness. He wanted to be able to tell himself that at least one person in this world loved him. The blond nodded and softly stood up from his bed, eyes searching the room around him before looking back down at his hand in Leon's.

The two boys packed a few articles of clothing along with Cloud's toothbrush and stuffed them in his school bag. Leon started towards the window before Cloud remembered something.

"Wait, your shirt."

"My shirt?" Leon repeated, a hint of confusion playing on his tone.

"I haven't given you back your shirt yet." Cloud said, heart aching strongly for an unknown reason. "I kept it under my pillow."

Leon took Cloud's arm with his hand and shook his head. "How about we leave it here just a little longer. I don't need it back."

Cloud's eyes shifted to the brunet's, another urge to read more into his suggestion tugging at his heart than he wished to allow.

"You hang on to it for awhile." Leon said, turning to face the blond. He looked as though he was about to say something else before a loud, stomping noise sounded from the stairwell.

"Cloud!" his mother shouted. "Come here; I want to talk to you." Her voice was much less than friendly.

Cloud's eyes slowly drifted towards the door, saddening as his mother repeated her order. He felt Leon's hand surrounding his own tighten slightly as both boys stood perfectly still.

"Cloud!" she screamed angrily. "Get your ass down here!" More banging came from down the stairs. Cloud's sad eyes remained on the door, his lips forming a deep frown.

"Cloud, come with me, alright?" Leon requested quietly, tugging on Cloud's hand gently. "You'll be safe with me."

Cloud's eyes shifted and he looked back at Leon, the sadness not leaving his expression. He bit his lower lip for an instant before nodding.

Leon led him to the window, Cloud's bag on his own back, before he swung his legs over the side and gracefully dropped to the ground. Once he hit the ground, he stood up straight and looked back up at the window where a blond head was looking back inside, presumably at the door again.

"Cloud," Leon called quietly. "Come on."

Cloud looked down at the brunet before positioning himself to jump out of his window. As he sat on the windowsill, his heart began pounding as the ground looked farther and farther away with every second that passed. He took a deep breath just as a loud pounding sound was heard coming from his bedroom door immediately followed by his mother's angry voice, screaming at him to open up.

An unfamiliar hate filled his chest as he gave one last glance back at the door before letting himself fall to the ground. He stumbled a few times before Leon's arms circled around him, steadying him until he could stand on his own two feet again.

"You're getting better at this." Leon mused, tone of voice not matching the nonexistent expression. He grabbed Cloud's hand and led him away from his house. "We'll get you some ice for your bruises. It should also help the swelling if your wrist is sprained, like I think it is."

Cloud nodded and dropped his eyes to the ground.

"Cloud, please say something." Leon asked, pulling the blond's body closer so they practically walked hip-to-hip.

Cloud took a deep breath and let it out heavily. "She tried to fix me up with some girl when I got home today." Cloud explained, leaving his explanation at that.

Leon looked over at the blond, wrapping his arm around his body. "Is that what made her so angry?"

Cloud huffed and shook his head. "I don't know what made her so mad. Apparently I embarrassed her when I openly said I was gay in front of her friend and her friend's daughter and probably made it worse when I told her I have a boyfriend. I think that's why she got drunk after they left… or not. She probably would have gotten drunk anyhow."

Leon absorbed this information and nodded. "I wish I never let you go home."

"Then it would have happened the next time I went home." Cloud explained, looking over to Leon with defeated eyes. "That's why I came home today; this shit is going to happen one way or another. I just wanted to lessen to blow by not adding 'run-away' to the list of things that pisses her off."

Leon stayed quiet after this explanation and watched the road ahead of them. "I can't believe this is happening to you…"

"It's not a big deal." Cloud said, his voice bordering on nonchalance.

"Not a big deal?" Leon asked, turning to look at the blond as they continued to walk.

"No, Leon. It's not a big deal." Cloud reiterated, voice slightly more sharp than he had intended.

Leon stopped walking causing Cloud to do the same. He removed his arm from around the blond, turning the blond to face him, and placed his hands on Cloud's shoulders. "It _is_ a big deal, Cloud. This isn't normal, no matter how long you've been going through it." Cloud went to say something but was cut off by the brunet. "Maybe we should get the school involved and get you out of that house."

"No!" Cloud's former protest died in his throat at Leon's last comment, replaced by the objection to telling the school what's been happening to him. "I'm not saying a word!"

"Why not?" Leon asked, hands rubbing Cloud's shoulders in attempts to sooth the blond.

"No!" Cloud almost shouted, taking several steps back from Leon.

"Okay. Okay… Cloud, please come here." Leon whispered, holding out his arms to a now very defensive looking blond.

Cloud looked down at Leon's arms then back to his eyes. "Promise me you won't say anything to anyone."

"It's none of my business; it's yours and I won't do anything you don't want me to do." Leon said, making sure all his bases were covered with a single sentence.

Cloud's lips quivered slightly before he reached out his hand to Leon, the brunet taking it immediately and pulling the blond close. He wrapped his arms around Cloud and kissed the side of his head. "I promise, Cloud. I won't do anything to upset you."

Cloud felt his arms rise to wrap around Leon's body but they stopped mid-way and dropped back down. "Okay…" was the only thing the blond could say.

-.-.-.-

The moment the door closed behind them at Leon's house, Zell rushed to the entranceway with a look of concern in his eyes. "Cloud, are you alright?"

Cloud nodded and rubbed an eye with the back of his hand.

"Leon bolted out of here so fast; I knew there had to be something wrong with you." Zell explained, taking Cloud's elbow in his hand and led him into the living room. "That's a nasty bruise there, Blondie."

"I'll get you some ice." Leon said in a hushed tone, placing a kiss on Cloud's non-injured brow before leaving towards the kitchen.

"What happened to you, kid?" Zell asked, tilting Cloud's head to the side so he could get a better look at the bruise darkening there.

"I'm okay." Cloud said, almost on autopilot.

"Right…" Zell said quietly, dropping his hand from Cloud's chin and sitting back onto the couch.

Leon came back with two fresh dish towels wrapped around two bags of ice. He handed one to Cloud and lifted the blond's arm up to his head as he took Cloud's wrist in his own hand. "Tell me if you start to feel a sharp, stabbing pain." the brunet instructed his boyfriend as he gently held the ice to his wrist.

"Shit, Cloud." Zell shook his head as he eyed the blond's second injury. "Leon, do you think it's broken? I can take you guys to the hospital."

"No!" Cloud said, the _'H'_ word seeming to startle him. "I'm fine. It's just a bump."

Leon's eyes moved up and searched the blond's before looking over to his roommate. "I think it's a sprain. He can bend it a little without too much pain."

Zell nodded and looked at Cloud before his eyes met Leon's. "You let me know if you need anything; a drive, food, anything.

Leon nodded with a 'thanks' before he stood up, Cloud's wrist still in his hand. "Lets go to my room." he said to the blond, Cloud's eyes looking up before he nodded.

Cloud followed Leon to his bedroom, the brunet closing the door quietly behind them, as the blond took a seat on the edge of his bed, balancing the ice on his wrist as he held the other bag against his head.

"Do you want to talk about this?" Leon asked, eye portraying a hint of concern as he watched the blond.

Cloud looked up at Leon and removed the ice from his head. "There's not much to say."

Leon took a seat beside Cloud and turned his body so he was facing the blond. "Well, we could talk about what we're going to do about this."

Cloud's eyes hadn't left the brunet's as he examined his boyfriend's beautiful features. "She hates me."

"She's drunk, Cloud. You can't believe anything she says when she's drunk."

Cloud shook his head. "I saw it, though. She actually_ hates_ me."

Leon remained quiet for a moment before speaking again. "All the more reason why we should talk about what we're going to do-"

"And my father hated me as well." Cloud interrupted with an expressionless tone.

Leon watched the dulled disposition Cloud had been emitting that he'd been worried about since he made it to Cloud's house and it all started to make sense.

"This isn't your fault." Leon said, trying to correct Cloud's thinking. "Don't you start thinking this has anything to do with you."

"They hate me." Cloud said, voice cracking slightly. "My parents, the people who are supposed to love me the most, they hate me."

"She was drunk, Cloud."

Cloud looked over at Leon with pain-filled eyes which were beginning to well up with tears. "And…" He choked back a sob and bit back what he was about to say. It hurt too much. He let the two bags of ice drop to the floor.

"And what?" Leon asked, leaning closer to Cloud and taking his hands in his own. Cloud's shock of pain didn't go by unnoticed by him.

Cloud shook his head and looked down at his hands in Leon's. "You don't believe in love." Simply saying it out loud caused the first tear to slip from his eye. His heart pounded in his chest and all of a sudden it felt like the weight of the world was on his chest.

Leon was a little taken aback by what Cloud had just said. He remained quiet for a moment before thinking it would be better if he were to think of something to say. It took him another moment to come up with something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Cloud continued.

"Nobody…" Cloud started, eyes trained down at the bags of ice on the floor and now releasing tears freely. "Nobody loves me."

"I care about you, Cloud. Deeply." Leon said surely, tilting his head to try and catch the blond's eyes. "Maybe I don't attach a word to it, but you matter to me. A lot."

Cloud's eyes timidly moved from the floor to meet Leon's. A storm was brewing in those eyes again and the blond could feel one brewing up within himself. "Promise?" He needed to hear some sort of confirmation.

"Of course I promise, Cloud." Leon said, moving closer and placing a kiss against his forehead. "I would never had said it if I didn't mean it."

Cloud closed his eyes as Leon placed another soft kiss against his forehead and allowed the brunet's words to trickle over his body like a warm shower. He could feel his sorrow lifting slightly before it was consumed with something else; something much stronger and completely unexpected by the blond.

Cloud lifted his head and captured the brunet's lips with his own. Leon had accused Cloud of never making the first move and at this moment, Cloud felt like he had more nerve than he'd ever felt before. Leon seemed surprised at the sudden kiss but didn't protest as he returned the kiss with equal passion.

Cloud forced his lips against Leon's with a little more pressure as he moved his body closer, wrapping his arms around the brunet's neck. He felt Leon's arms wrap around his own body and that set the blond off. He knew Leon cared for him and he wasn't about to let that go no matter what. At least he could say one person in this world cared about him. He needed to secure it.

It soon wasn't enough for Cloud, this kiss not expressing the passion he felt towards the brunet enough and he decided to be a little bolder. He shifted his body so he could gain more mobility and shuffled closer to Leon, the brunet's hands freezing against the blond's back as he waited to see what Cloud was doing. Bashfulness and subtleness now non-existent, Cloud kept moving until he was straddling the brunet's hips and lowered himself so his rear resting against Leon's lap. Leon let out a low moan at this switch of position as his hand resumed stroking Cloud's back.

Cloud grunted lowly and arched his back so his chest was pressed up against Leon's and deepened the kiss further, not allowing Leon to win this dominance war easily as both competed to take control over the other's mouth.

Cloud's eyes fluttered as he felt what Leon's tongue was doing to him and a strong arousal took over his body. He could feel his pants tightening in record time and began to rock his hips slightly to get a feel for how Leon was handling the situation. Leon moaned into Cloud's mouth and Cloud returned the moan as a hardened length was felt underneath him, probably making the brunet's pants feel just as uncomfortable as his own.

Leon pulled back first for air, panting against Cloud's lips as he tried to regain control over his body. Cloud wasn't going to allow this and took Leon's lips again with his own starting another desperate kiss. The blond was taken by surprise, but hid it well, when he felt Leon's hands run down the sides of his body and stop at his hips, holding the blond in place before giving them a firm squeeze.

This one motion set Cloud's body on fire and he began rocking his hips again against Leon's grip with more vigour. He knew what he wanted at this point.

Leon broke the kiss again, in Cloud's opinion much too soon, and rested his head against the blond's. "C-Cloud…"

"Don't stop…" Cloud murmured breathlessly, lowering his head in search for those lips again.

"Slow down." Leon said next, attempting to back up onto the bed away from Cloud.

"I don't want to slow down." Cloud replied huskily, eyes meeting excited blue-gray.

"Just wait a second." Leon responded, pulling back further. He successful managed to slide out from under Cloud and backed up a bit onto the bed, putting some distance between the blond and him. "We're going too fast."

Cloud's eyes narrowed before a smirk played across his lips. "I'm not scared." With that, the blond crawled seductively across the short distance between them and leaned over the brunet, who was watching his boyfriend with curious, heated eyes. The blond's smirk turned more primitive. "Fuck me…"

"Cloud?" was the only thing the brunet could say, completely taken by surprise, before the blond took his lips with his own again. From this position, it didn't take much effort for Cloud to have Leon leaning back on his elbows, propped up to retain at least a little control over what was going on.

Cloud's kiss was nothing less than consuming, the blond's tongue doing things Leon hadn't felt before and causing his body to respond much quicker than his previous experiences. His worries and concern melted as the blond moved closer still and resumed his position, straddling Leon's hips again. Leon's bent knees behind Cloud's rear began to hinder the blond's motions so he lowered himself against the brunet, forcing Leon to lie flat on the bed save for his propped up upper body. When Leon's knees straightened, the blond had full free access to move upon the brunet's lap at will and took advantage of this access immediately, rocking once more against the hardness under him.

Leon groaned from Cloud's boldness and shifted slightly under him. He wanted to keep some sort of control over the situation so he took Cloud's hands in his own, removing his elbows from the bed causing him to lie down flat. Cloud seemed to have liked this new arrangement as his hands pinned Leon's against the bed, unexpected by the brunet, and his lips moved from Leon's lips to the brunet's throat, sucking and nipping at the warm fresh. Leon's control was lost.

"Cloud…" Leon panted, eyes fluttering at the attention his body was receiving. It felt so good but he knew that this couldn't go where it was headed tonight. Cloud was under a lot of stress and as much as his own arousal argued with his reasoning, Cloud was acting this way because of what happened at home. The blond only wanted to be loved and Leon wasn't about to take advantage of his vulnerability. Their first time together had to be right; it couldn't be because of the blond's insecurity.

"Cloud, wait." Leon protested again, his eyes rolling back momentarily as the pleasure Cloud was causing rippled over his body. "Oh Gods…"

"Take me, Leon. I want you to have me tonight." Cloud whispered roughly, lips immediately resuming their work after the words were uttered.

Leon panted as he began his inner turmoil again: to abide by Cloud's request and do what his body really wanted to do or to make things right according to his morals… Leon liked to think of himself as somewhat ethical but the way that Cloud was moving against his arousal was arguing a good case as well. He contemplated this for another moment before Cloud's rocking picked up pace, causing the brunet to gasp and thrust up against Cloud.

Cloud's head lifted up with a heated smile, apparently very happy with the reaction he received from Leon, and leaned up to place small kisses against the brunet's lips, hands still squeezing Leon's as they held them down against the bed. "I want you in me. Please, Leon..."

"Cloud," Leon panted again, finally reaching a decision. "We have to stop this." His aching erection screamed at him.

"We don't have to stop." Cloud pouted before that same pout turned into a smile seconds later. "It feels too good." The blond dipped back down to recapture the brunet's lips again, the brunet trying to avoid it at first but gave in once Cloud's rear began stroking his hard length again. Wave after wave of pleasure cascaded over his body as he fought for some sense of control again. Cloud was not making it easy.

It wasn't long before Leon found himself thrusting up against Cloud again, causing Cloud to moan as blond eyelashes fluttered and his head lulled back, thoroughly enjoying the pleasure he was eliciting by dry humping his boyfriend. His body trembled as his eyes opened slowly again, gazing at Leon with such heated passion it caused the brunet to tremble as well.

Cloud leaned down once more so both of their erections slid against one another through the fabric of their clothes, causing both boys to moan at the change of sensation. Cloud's breathing was coming more heavily now and his lips sought out Leon's again before he felt his upper body lift up from Leon's.

Leon lifted his arms up slightly, Cloud's hands in his own, causing more space between their upper bodies. He had to put a stop to this. He was not going to take advantage of Cloud; he would never forgive himself.

"Cloud…" he panted, trying to keep his eyes open. They fought to close and his body was about to give in again when the sight of the bruise on Cloud's brow registered. Cloud was just beaten by his mother. Cloud said both his parents hated him and he was finding comfort in the one person who cared about him. He wasn't about to justify sex, sacrificing Cloud's virginity, just to prove that he cared about Cloud. It wasn't the appropriate time to be doing this. "We can't do this right now. It's not the right time." He suppressed a moan as his body reminded him of the weight still pressed against his throbbing arousal and shook his head to dispel the thought.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, eyes still very much heated from what they had been doing.

"I mean, you're upset about what happened tonight at home. I can't take advantage of that." Leon explained, wondering whether he was making any sense. Of course his body argued that it made no sense whatsoever and demanded to allow it all to continue. "It's not fair to you."

Cloud said, facing growing serious, "I love you. I want my first time to be with you. I want this."

Leon looked up at the emotion playing across Cloud's face and tried to distinguish how much was there because of what his mother did to him. "I'm not saying you don't, but tonight wouldn't be right. I would feel like I was taking advantage of you."

"You're not." Cloud said, a smile forming on kiss-bruised lips. "I started this, not you."

"I know," Leon answered, his excitement spiking at the look on Cloud's face. "But-"

"But nothing." Cloud interrupted. "I love you, Leon, and I don't expect you to ever say it back. I understand that you don't believe in love, but I do. This is right for me."

Leon licked his lips and turned his head to the side, arms still holding Cloud up off of his chest. His moral and physical conflict began once again before he squashed it with a shake of his head. He looked back up at Cloud and sighed softly. "I'm not saying that us doing this is a bad thing. I'm saying that us doing this _right now_ is not right."

"You don't want me?" Cloud asked, his eyes saddening immediately, a dampness becoming noticeable by the brunet as the blond pulled back slightly.

"I do want you. I also want what's right for you. Do you understand what I mean?" Leon explained, sitting up putting them right back into the position they first began making out in. He released Cloud's hands and brushed his fingers over the blond's cheeks.

"If you want me and I want you, why can't we do this? Why can't we do what our bodies are telling us to do right now?" the blond asked in a weak voice, barely over a whisper. He looked utterly heartbroken.

"Why did you start this?" Leon asked, drawing a confused look from the blond before deciding to ask his question in a different way. _Cloud_ needed to understand why he, himself, was doing this; Leon couldn't explain it for him. "Before you kissed me, we were talking about how your parents don't love you. What did we talk about after that?"

Cloud's eyes looked to the side for a moment before meeting Leon's again. "You don't believe in love." His eyes welled up again; the blond obviously missing the point Leon was trying to show him.

"What else?" Leon coaxed, brushing the blond's tears away with his fingers.

"Nobody loves me." the blond sobbed, shaking his head.

Leon shook his head and took the blond's in his hands. "No, that's not it. Cloud, what did I say?" Cloud sniffled before closing his eyes. Leon waited a moment before brushing one hand through the blond's hair. "What did I say to you before you kissed me?"

"That you care about me." Cloud said quietly, opening his eyes.

"Deeply, Cloud. I care about you _deeply_." Leon repeated with a nod. "What else did I say?"

"That I matter to you." Cloud answered after a brief moment, his distress seeming to calm down as Leon's eyes scanned the blond's face.

"You matter to me _a lot_." Leon said with a nod. "And then you kissed me. I may be wrong, but after what happened to you tonight, I don't want you to think that sex is necessary to secure these feelings I have for you. Especially not after what your mother said to you tonight. I don't need sex to feel this way for you, Cloud. I don't want you to feel like you need it either."

Cloud's lower lip trembled, watching his boyfriend's face as this was being explained to him. All of a sudden he felt his body shiver which Leon reacted to immediately, wrapping his arms around the blond and pulling him as close to his body as he could.

Cloud laid his head down on Leon's shoulder and buried his nose in the crook of his neck. He inhaled Leon's scent with a deep breath and smiled as the soothing aroma calmed his whole body again. Somehow, what almost happened seemed like it would have been a mistake to Cloud and his gratitude towards Leon swelled up in his chest. Leon just had a way of understanding what Cloud was thinking and being able to catch the reason behind Cloud's forceful seduction regardless of what was happening was a good call. It probably would have been something Cloud would want to take back. He wanted their first time to be pleasantly memorable; not something he would associate with his mother's abuse.

"Leon," Cloud said lowly from his comfortable position.

"Hmm?" Leon said, turning his head so his cheek was up against Cloud's.

"Thank you." the blond responded, lifting his head to look into his boyfriend's eyes. "I didn't make it easy for you to do the right thing, did I?"

Leon's eyes narrowed as he shook his head. "You have _no_ idea how hard you made it."

Cloud bit his lower lip and attempted to suppress a giggle but failed. "How _hard_ I made it? I have an idea."

Leon rolled his eyes and allowed himself to fall back on the bed, bringing the blond down with him. "I didn't mean _that_."

"I know," Cloud chuckled, climbing off Leon's lap and getting comfortable beside the brunet. He snuggled up against Leon and laid his head upon his boyfriend's chest. "Thank you."

Leon kissed the top of Cloud's head and rested his cheek against blond spikes. "No thanks required, Cloud. It matters to me that when we do decide to be together physically that it means a lot to the both of us."

Cloud smiled against Leon's chest and sighed happily. "It will."

Leon placed another kiss against Cloud's head and sighed. After a few minutes of silence, Leon continued. "Does it bother you… that I don't use the word 'love'?"

Cloud snuggled up against Leon and gave him a tight squeeze. "No."

"Do you mean that?" Leon asked, looking down at the blond.

Cloud looked up at Leon with soft eyes and nodded. "If it's not something you believe in then I don't want to hear it."

Leon nodded and gave Cloud a gentle squeeze.

"Leon?" Cloud asked, eyes never leaving the brunet's. "We can do other things, right?"

Leon tilted his head and blinked a few times. "What do you mean?"

Cloud propped himself up on his elbows and drew himself up Leon's body so his face was inches from the brunet's. "I mean, if we're waiting for the right time to… go _all the way_, does that mean we're waiting to do other things, too?"

Leon stared at Cloud for a moment before licking his lips. "I guess it depends on what you're referring to." the brunet answered carefully, trying to get a reading on the sparkle flickering in the blond's eyes.

Cloud leaned down and kissed Leon softly before pulling back and speaking against his lips. "I'm referring to handling certain… strains, or needs we have in the meantime."

Leon let out a puff of air as the tingling sensation grew within his body again. "It would only be fair, I think." he said lightly, leaning up and capturing Cloud's lips again.

Cloud moaned as he pressed his body against Leon's, a renewed excitement replacing the dwindling arousal from previously. "Good, because I'm a little worked up right now." Cloud said between kisses. "And I want your help."

Leon's hand hesitantly reached over and landed on Cloud's side, giving it a gentle squeeze before sliding down lower. He was careful to keep a tight hold on his self control. Cloud grunted as he moved his body closer to Leon's, tilting himself slightly to allow Leon access to lower on his body. Leon leaned up, lips still working against Cloud's, and shifted his body so it was facing Cloud's while his hand travelled lower. Cloud's hands reached up and grasped Leon's shoulders as he felt the brunet slide his hand underneath his shirt, his thumb rubbing against the soft skin over his flat stomach.

Cloud moaned and Leon's hand began lowering again until it reached his belt, expertly unfastening it before pausing. "Are you sure about this?" Leon asked quietly, head becoming dizzy at the panting breath from the blond's slightly parted lips.

"Yes," Cloud answered lowly, thrusting his hips against Leon before kissing him again. "I want this."

Leon kissed the blond back and began moving his hand again. He undid Cloud's pants and reached in slowly, palming the hard length through the blond's boxers. Cloud whimpered into Leon's mouth and thrust his hips again into Leon's palm, goose bumps forming over his entire body. His kiss turned more passionate and slow and he shivered at the sound of a groan coming from Leon's throat. He couldn't describe the excitement he felt right now.

Leon's body trembled as Cloud's body motion told him just how good it felt and it soon became too much for him. He needed to be touched. With one hand in Cloud's pants stroking the blond's erection, the brunet moved his other hand and gently wrapped it around Cloud's wrist. Cloud seemed to get the idea as he moaned in understanding, allowing Leon to move his own hand between the brunet's legs, fingers instantly finding the brunet's straining arousal.

Cloud worked quickly on Leon's pants and soon made enough room to slide his hand inside mimicking the motion Leon was doing to his body. Leon broke the kiss and gasped as the blond's hand moved along his hard length and soon found himself thrusting upwards into Cloud's palm. It was pure bliss.

Cloud's mouth hung open slightly as he panted against Leon's lips, eyes closed softly as he focused on the feeling of Leon's hard body against his hand. He had dreamed of this but those dreams failed to even hold a candle to the way this was feeling. The intensity grew to be too much and the blond decided to be bolder, lifting his hand slightly and slipping it under the waistband of the brunet's boxers before wrapping his fingers around his cock. Leon huffed and did the same, taking Cloud's erection in his hand underneath the blond's boxers and stroked him to the same pace Cloud was going.

Cloud whimpered once again as the pleasure spiked and soon lost control over his thrusting against Leon's hand. The way they worked themselves up before stopping was sure to make this experience not last long and Cloud could feel his body build up towards the release he so desperately sought. Leon wasn't helping him slow down any as the brunet ran his thumb over the head of Cloud's arousal, Cloud immediately doing the same to the brunet and earning a trembling moan from Leon.

Their pace picked up, neither knowing who was setting it, as both thrust into each other's hand urgently. Nothing mattered at this point anymore other than satisfying their physical need to be with one another after their verbal commitment to each other. This was not new territory for either of them, but the shared experience between them for the first time made it all feel new. Getting an understanding of what made the other gasp or moan the loudest became the objective for the both of them as they raced towards climax, each focusing on what made the other feel the best and enjoy what was being done to their own body. Neither could say who reached that point first, but together they let out a loud moan, each calling out the other's name as they released themselves over the other's hand and making a warm, sticky mess in their own boxers.

Heavy breathing was all that could be heard during the moments following their release, both collapsing onto the bed with their hands still down the other's pants. It was Leon who removed his hand first and pulled Cloud closer to his body with his… not so messy hand.

Cloud exhaled and snuggled closer to Leon, pulling his own hand out of the brunet's pants and chuckled at the sight.

"This wasn't well planned." Cloud said lightly, smiling as he looked up at his spent lover.

Leon's eyes fluttered open and looked down at the blond with his usual expressionless eyes. "Well planned, no. Well received, yes."

Cloud chuckled again and rested his head against Leon's chest. "I must say, I have to agree."

They stayed that way for a little while longer before Leon suggested they get cleaned up. After Cloud came out of the shower, he sighed happily as he watched a freshly showered Leon finish changing the sheets on his bed.

"You must be hungry." Leon said, eyes flickering up to meet Cloud's before dropping back down to the bed. "Let me make you something to eat."

Cloud smiled and nodded. "That would be nice."

Leon nodded before fluffing the last pillow and making his way over to Cloud. He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close to his body.

"Are you happy?"

Cloud looked up at Leon, feeling light as air, and smiled widely. "The happiest."

Leon pursed his lips before leaning down and kissing Cloud chastely. "Me too."

-o-o-o-

Okay, so no sex, but at least they got somewhere, ya? I can't wait to post the next chapter, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to hang onto it for a little while to give you all a chance to find and read this chapter (and review, hopefully?) before I post the next. I'd kinda like to have another chapter or two written as well.

Once again, I wanted to thank everyone for your kind reviews and PMs. You always bring a smile to my face. Just think, you're making a complete stranger far, far away smile like an idiot when she reads your words. The power… the power…

Hugs and kisses all around. XD


	19. Chapter 18

A/N: Wow – I'm so happy that you guys took to the last chapter so well! I thought I would have gotten hate mail because of the tease. Thanks for not firing your weapons!

I'm really going to miss writing this story when it comes to an end. It's coming up, but don't worry; there's still enough chapters before that happens. I'd love to say that everything is happy rainbows from here, but unfortunately it's not. We'll have not so happy chapters to go through, but I'll make sure the boys keep spirits up with a little… play time.

I'll shut up now. Please R&R! Most of all – enjoy!

-o-o-o-

Cloud couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face even if he tried when he and Leon made it to their lockers to find Brad, Brantley, and Xander waiting for them before class. The stupid grin he received back from Brantley told him that the guy knew what Cloud's stupid grin was about, but the blond kept composed knowing that Brantley didn't know the details. By the stoic look on Brad's face, Cloud guessed that he was trying not to react to his suspicions about what was causing the blond's unusually chipper disposition. Xander, as expected, seemed completely clueless and was the first to react to Cloud's newest injury.

"What happened?" he said, walking towards the approaching couple and taking Cloud's wrist in his hand. Leon looked down at Xander's grip on Cloud and made the first move to his locker, leaving Cloud's side.

"Just my mother," Cloud said, disappointed that now both Brantley and Brad had concerned looks on their faces. "The usual… you know."

"Are you alright?" Xander asked, brushing Cloud's bangs from his forehead and examining the dark bruise.

"I'm fine," Cloud said, brushing Xander's hand down and rolling his eyes. He didn't miss Leon's semi-glare towards him and Xander but wrote it off as frustration over that phrase he hated so much. "Leon took me home afterwards." Cloud missed Leon's continued glare at Cloud's wrist in Xander's hand.

"When will you catch a break? Damn…" Brantley said, shaking his head. "This is getting retarded; you need to tell someone."

"I'll be fine, Brantley. Seriously..." Cloud argued, slipping his wrist from Xander's hand and dropping his bag in front of his locker beside Leon.

"I know you'll be fine, Cloud, but it doesn't mean she should get away with it." Brantley responded, his frown matching that of Xander's. "Are you going to tell Principal Sephiroth?"

"No, and neither will any of you." Cloud said firmly, turning briefly from his open locker to give each of them a glare.

"What happened to telling people about this shit in case something goes terribly wrong?" Xander asked, watching the blond's face closely. "Isn't that what you did about Tony's friends? Why should your mother be any different?"

Cloud bit his lower lip and hesitated before answering. "It just is…"

"How?" Xander challenged, voice firm with a hint of frustration.

"Because," Cloud responded, narrowing his eyes. "If I tell them about my mother then they'll have to do something about it."

"That would be great." Brantley added, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's what we want."

"I would be sent away." Cloud added, eyes switching from Xander to Brantley. "I couldn't be able to stay here."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked. "Why wouldn't you be able to stay here?"

Cloud closed his locker and turned to face the other boys. He looked over at Leon, who was watching him with a jaded disposition, before looking back at Xander. "They wouldn't let me stay here if there was any chance of me running into my mother after shit hit the fan, Xander. They would send me away. Another town; another school."

"They can do that?" Brantley asked in surprise.

Cloud looked over at Leon and frowned. "Yeah, they can. They probably will." He looked back over to the others, his frown deepening. "That's why you can't tell anyone about what's going on with me at home, okay?"

Leon shifted his weight and hiked his bag more comfortably on his shoulder. "Lets go." he said to the blond, glancing at the other three. "We'll see you guys at lunch."

Brantley and Xander's frown deepened and Brad watched the blond obey his boyfriend before he sighed. "Yeah, see you at lunch."

Cloud gave them a quick, fake smile before he turned around to face Leon. "Shall we?"

Leon nodded and took Cloud's hand in his own before leading the blond away from the others. It was a few moments later before Cloud noticed that they weren't headed in the direction of their first class. He followed silently for a couple of moments before curiousity got the better of him.

"Where are we going?"

Leon took a sharp left hand turn down a quiet hallway and led Cloud towards an empty locker bay.

"Leon? Where are you taking me?" Cloud asked again, eyes searching the quiet hallway for a hint.

Cloud barely managed to get the question out of his mouth before Leon turned quickly and pushed the blond up against a row of lockers. Cloud opened his mouth to ask what was going on but before he could utter a word his lips were taken captive by Leon's. To say he was taken completely by surprise was a gross understatement, but a better term was not needed as the blond's bag slipped off his shoulder to the ground and his arms wrapped themselves around Leon's shoulders.

The purpose behind Leon's sudden kiss onslaught was a mystery to Cloud but it didn't matter as goose bumps covered his body and he attempted to match Leon's passion. Leon's kiss was so forceful and he had Cloud so completely pinned against the lockers; it didn't take too long before their bodies began moving against one another's in a way that had them hardening in specific places.

It was Leon who broke the kiss first and rested his forehead against Cloud's, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. Cloud's eyes took longer to focus after the desperate kiss but once he felt like he had control over his body again, he attempted to look straight into Leon's eyes.

"What… was that… all about…?" The question came out as a series of huffs.

Leon's eyes met baby blue, his forearms resting against the lockers on either side of the blond's head. "I can't stop thinking about last night." Leon answered before he dipped down to recapture slightly parted, pink lips. His tongue delved into Cloud's mouth before he placed a particularly wet kiss against Cloud's lips and pulled back. "I can't stop thinking about what we did; how good it felt…" His lips met Cloud's again and his tongue swiped across Cloud's lips. "How good it felt to touch you; how good it felt when you touched me."

"Oh Gods…" Cloud panted before Leon's lips devoured his own. Leon's words were spiking his arousal and his pants felt incredibly tight. Leon's lips rested against his once more, breaking the kiss but keeping their lips touching.

"I keep replaying it in my head." Leon murmured, moving his body closer to Cloud's so that it pinned Cloud flush up against the lockers behind him. "And I'm having a hard time thinking about anything else except how you sounded when you came all over my hand."

"Leon…" Cloud almost whimpered, his body trembling at the brunet's intensity and the way Leon was moving his body against the stiffness in his pants. He couldn't think of anything to say. He wasn't really sure whether he wanted to say anything to begin with but his body urged him to voice his shock and very obvious arousal so he let out a low moan.

Leon seemed to be satisfied by this response as he took the blond's lips with his own again, beginning another very desperate kiss. Cloud didn't care about anything in the world at this moment except for the way Leon was moving against him and the taste of his mouth sealed around his lips. The blond decided to throw himself into this just as Leon seemed to have pulled back slightly. Cloud let out a little sigh before tilting forward to kiss Leon again; the brunet pulling his head back a little more.

Cloud decided his liked this little game and smirked as he went in for another kiss but the look in Leon's eyes told him something was not right.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, his smirk slipping from his lips.

Leon's eyes went dark before he turned to look over his shoulder. Cloud's eyes followed the brunet's and his heart shot up into his throat. Down the deserted hallway stood Tony and the group of guys who threatened Cloud with the knife. All of them but Tony were grinning wickedly as if they were just given the proof they needed to justify their plans. Tony… well, Tony wasn't grinning at all. The normal grin he saved for such occasions was nowhere to be found. Instead, Tony looked angry. He looked more than angry. Tony looked absolutely furious.

Cloud held his breath as the guys looked upon him and Leon, still in each others' arms, and he and Leon looked back. So much ran through Cloud's head at that very moment. So much that he wasn't able to focus on any one of them.

_Leon, don't do anything! Stay here!_

_We just got caught making out in a hallway between classes._

_The looks on their faces mean we're in some trouble…_

_Who's hiding the knife this time?_

_Tony looks… hurt…_

Cloud took in a deep breath and fought to remove the look of fear and shock from his face. He let his arms fall to his sides and looked straight into Tony's eyes. Tony held his stare, the hurt playing in his eyes just as strong as when Cloud first noticed it. For some reason this time he wasn't making any offensive or demeaning comments. He wasn't saying a word.

"Did we disrupt you?" one of the other boys said mockingly. "I didn't realize this was a fag's make-out spot." The other boys laughed, all but Tony.

"Leon, lets go…" Cloud whispered, feeling as though he was walking on broken glass. The brunet seemed calm enough. That's why he was so dangerous. He _seemed_ calm enough, but Cloud could recognize the intense storm brewing behind the colour of his eyes. He knew he had to get the brunet away from them before Leon snapped and did something that would take him away from the blond. Cloud couldn't let that happen. "Leon! Lets go!" the blond said with a little more volume and a lot more firmness. "They're not worth it."

"We're not worth it, Leon." one of the boys mimicked, grinning as he took a step closer to the couple. "You don't actually intend to fight _all_ of us, do you?"

Cloud swore he heard a growl come from somewhere deep within Leon's throat and he grabbed the brunet's arms and squeezed them tight. "Leon, take me to class."

"Save your boy-toy, Leon." another boy piped in. "Goodness knows it'd be a real shame to fuck up that pretty face of his."

Another long, low growl from the brunet…

Cloud looked from Leon to the boy who just spoke. His eyes caught Tony's, who was still staring with a mix of rage and pain. Cloud's eyes narrowed as he watched Tony watch him. He couldn't understand what was going on behind that expression but at the moment he was concerned about what Leon might do if the others kept egging him on.

"Leon…" Cloud said, eyes still curiously locked with Tony's. He wasn't sure if Tony was actually seeing him right now. "Leon… you promised-"

"Oh, he promised!" another boy interrupted, throwing his arms in the air animatedly before sighing deeply for show. "He promised! Oh, what did he promise?!" His little performance earned him a few laughs.

Cloud watched Tony's eyes shift from his own to Leon and something unimaginable happened. With anger and pain still very apparent in his eyes, jealousy showed its ugly face. Cloud could almost see the weight of the world land on Tony's chest as the boy struggled to take a deep breath in before shaking his head. This didn't seem to go by unnoticed by Leon, either.

"Leon…" Cloud whispered, looking back at the brunet. "Leon!" he almost shouted next, shaking the brunet by the arms. Leon looked down at his boyfriend with wrath-filled eyes before they softened a bit. Cloud couldn't find the words. All he could do is beg with his eyes.

Leon blinked slowly before looking back at the boys. Cloud watched his boyfriend's face and was fascinated with what he saw next. Leon's lips curved and he frowned ever so slightly at the boys before taking Cloud's hand in his own and began walking away. Cloud's eyes remained on Leon's expression; Leon had just shown an expression of disappointment. _Leon_ had just shown an _expression_. The blond wasn't surprised that Leon was disappointed because he knew that Leon would love, sorry… like nothing more than to attack the boys who have been threatening him, but he was surprised that an emotion had slipped by his jaded self-concealment.

After a few steps the frown faded from Leon's face and was replaced by the usual nothingness, Cloud's eyes looking for any other indication that an emotion that was left over, but all he found was a slight tightening of the brunet's jaw. The blond looked over his shoulder and was relieved that the boys weren't following them. They stood around laughing with one another, all but one. Tony's eyes were fixated on Leon and when the blond looked back, his eyes caught with Cloud's. Cloud wasn't too sure what he was seeing but the usual hatred behind those eyes weren't there. That he was sure of. The hatred had been replaced and the hurt that lingered in Tony's stare made Cloud incredibly uncomfortable.

Cloud closed his mouth which he didn't realize was hanging open slightly and turned around with a deep breath. He tightened his grip on Leon's hand and his discomfort was eased a little when he felt Leon squeeze back. He wasn't too sure what to say at the moment; he didn't know if there was anything he should say, so he kept quiet as Leon led him away from the locker bay.

He didn't ask where Leon was taking him. He followed in silence and would feel Leon's grip tighten then release every few steps. Cloud was sure Leon was fighting to keep his temper at bay; forcing himself to walk away from the others. He had promised Cloud he wouldn't do anything, a promise he was probably regretting right now, but Cloud found very little comfort or gratitude at the moment because of it. There was too much to think about.

_Tony was hurt. Tony was… jealous?_

He couldn't wrap his head around it. Tony had left their secret little affair long ago and made sure Cloud knew that the whole idea of what they did together disgusted him. _Then why the hurt? Why the jealousy?_ _Is it possible I misread Tony?_ Cloud physically shook his head. No, living the life he did, he was damn good at figuring out what people were thinking just by reading their eyes. It was a necessary skill; a survival instinct. _But why?_

Leon opened the door to the library and ushered Cloud in before leading the blond to the back. He pulled out a seat for Cloud at one of the desks in the practically empty part of the library and motioned for Cloud to sit. Cloud slowly lowered himself to the chair and watched as Leon pulled out a chair for himself and took a seat.

Cloud watched the muscles in Leon's forearms flex a few times guessing that Leon was still struggling with his anger. The storm still howling violently in his eyes told the blond that he was right. Leon cracked his knuckles a few times as he kept his eyes trained downwards on the desk.

Cloud watched in silence for a moment longer before feeling the need to say something, anything, to calm the fuming brunet. He was still amazed that Leon's face showed no indication of the frustration he was feeling right now. _He frowned…_

"I doubt this is the right time…" Cloud started lowly, eyes watching his boyfriend's face very closely. "But it means a lot to me that you kept your promise."

Silence.

Cloud frowned then looked down at the brunet's hands. "I know how hard that must have been for you. I… just, thank you."

Leon's jaw clenched a few times before he parted his lips and took a soft breath in. "You're right." the brunet said lowly, eyes now roaming over the desk. "This isn't the right time."

Cloud frowned and looked down at his own hands. He swallowed then lifted his hands onto the table and took Leon's in his own. "Now what?"

Leon's eyes lifted up to meet Cloud's for the briefest of moments before looking down at Cloud's hands covering his own. "I… I promised you that I wouldn't do anything without discussing it with you first."

Cloud felt a chill run through his body and fought off the tremble. "Yes."

"Lets discuss it." Leon said, his voice barely able to control the anger behind his words.

It was Cloud's turn to clench his jaw. What was he supposed to say? Leon was obviously very angry and wanted nothing more than to find Tony and his friends again and kick the living shit out of them, but that was something Cloud didn't want. He had no desire to protect the boys from the attack; he just couldn't let anything happen that would get Leon into trouble.

"I don't know what to say…" was all the blond could get out in a meek voice.

"Where do we go from here?" Leon asked, eyes now able to look into the blond's without hesitation.

"Nothing happened, so we don't do anything." Cloud answered hoping that he wouldn't set the brunet off.

"What if you were walking down that hallway alone and ran into them." Leon's voice sounded as though his intense anger was returning. "What would they have done to you?"

Cloud bit his lower lip and shook his head. "We can't wonder about the 'what ifs', Leon. That didn't happen."

Leon shook his head as well and let his eyes drop back down to the desk again. "It could have… Am I to wait until you get hurt again before I'm allowed to do anything to protect you?"

"I don't want anything to happen to you." Cloud said, voice dripping with pain from the thought.

"What about you?" Leon snapped back, taking the blond by surprise. "I don't want anything to happen to you and by the looks of it, something will."

"Kicking the shit out of them isn't going to help me." Cloud said back, his voice picking up a firm undertone before it disappeared. "You getting expelled or even arrested will definitely not help me, either."

"They need to be taught a lesson." Leon said, the shortness of his tone becoming sharper.

"I'll be fine." Cloud said, jumping back when the words left his mouth as Leon pounded the table with his fist with all his strength. The loud bang it created rang in the silent air for a moment before Cloud was able to breathe again, heart pounding through his chest.

Cloud kept still as the fuming brunet clenched his jaw to stop himself from saying anything more. Cloud pulled his hands back and grasped the hem of his shirt, body shaking slightly at Leon's brief outburst. He knew that saying those three little words would be the worst thing to do at the moment, but they just slipped out. He never intended to say them and regretted it immediately.

"I…" Cloud started as the brunet unclenched his fist and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I didn't mean to say that…"

Leon brought both of his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. Cloud waited for him to say something but the brunet kept quiet. Now his eyes were hidden from the blond and not being able to get a reading on Leon made him even more uncomfortable.

"Leon, I'm sorry…" Cloud said, reaching over and grabbing the brunet's arm. "Please, look at me. I'm sorry."

Leon didn't budge.

"Leon-"

Cloud was interrupted by the sound of the office receptionist's voice over the PA system. _"Cloud Strife to Principal Sephiroth's office, please. Cloud Strife, please come to the principal's office."_

Cloud's hand tightened around Leon's arm as he looked up at the speaker in the corner of the room with a frown. _Now what?!_

"You should go…" Leon's voice said lowly from behind his hands.

Cloud's lips formed a straight line as he looked back at his boyfriend. "Please look at me?" he said sadly, body shaking with anxiety.

Leon took a deep breath, not removing his hands from his face. "You should go…" he repeated again, hands still rubbing his face with frustration.

Cloud pulled his hands back and stared at the brunet. He wanted so badly to stay and talk this out with Leon, but by the looks of it, Leon wasn't open for conversation. He hesitated before standing up from his chair. He looked down at the brunet and frowned. "Will you be here when I'm done?"

There was another moment's silence before the brunet dropped his hands down to the table and sighed. "Just call me when you're out." His voice matched his eyes. He sounded so defeated.

Cloud nodded then grabbed his bag before he turned around and slowly walked away.

He didn't have to wait for the principal to see him when he entered the office. Sephiroth was standing by the receptionist's desk and when the blond entered the principal's expression turned grave. Cloud bowed his head in attempts to hide his bruised brow as he took a few steps towards the principal.

"Come on," was the only thing the principal said before turning and leading the way to his private office. Cloud followed without a word and took his usual seat on the other side of the desk from Sephiroth's.

"Who did that to you?" the principal asked, his voice sounding just as grave as his expression looked.

Cloud remained quiet, keeping his head low and eyes downcast.

"Cloud, who gave you that bruise?" the principal asked again, voice more demanding and stern.

"Why did you page me to the office?" Cloud asked, attempting to dodge Sephiroth's question.

Sephiroth sighed and leaned forward. "I wanted to tell you that Tony's back in school. I couldn't justify keeping him suspended longer. I wanted you to know so you can take extra precaution."

Cloud nodded weakly. "I know that already."

Principal Sephiroth took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Did he do that to you?" he asked, motioning towards Cloud's injury.

Cloud remained silent.

"Cloud, I can't let you go on with these secrets you're keeping from me. I need to know what happened."

Another moment of silence.

"I'm not permitting you to continue on with your classes until I know what's happening to you." the principal continued after realizing that the blond was not going to speak. "I don't want to pull you from school, Cloud. I know you don't want that either."

Cloud took his hand in the other. The tension was building to be more than a little uncomfortable but there was nothing he could say. He tightened his hands into fists and flinched as a sharp pain ran through his injured wrist.

Sephiroth sighed almost immediately and shook his head. "I suppose that's another injury as well." He sat back in his chair and watched the blond lose composure. The way Cloud began shifting in his seat let Sephiroth know that he had the blond on the spot. Cloud wouldn't want to be pulled from school and he also didn't want to let Sephiroth in on what's been happening. Something had to give.

"Cloud, I don't want to do this, but you're not leaving me with any choice."

"I… I can't." the blond said feebly, visibly starting to shake.

"Then as of this moment you are no longer a student at Garden Brook High until we understand who is attacking you." He paused for a moment with a deep breath before continuing. "It's for your own safety, Cloud, and I'll be sending assistance home to find out if-"

"No!" Cloud shouted, eyes going wide as they flew up to meet the principal's.

"Why not? What will they find?" Sephiroth asked, voice softening in hopes of calming the almost panicked blond.

"N-nothing. I-I…" Cloud stuttered, taking a deep breath and shaking his head.

Sephiroth couldn't help but feel bad about what he was doing. Cloud was normally a very composed, confident, bright individual and here he was crumbling right in front of him. "Who did this to you, Cloud?"

Cloud shook in his seat. He was beyond stressed from this conversation and the fact that Leon was angry at him made this whole thing feel worse. He knew there wouldn't be a happy, loving boyfriend to run to after this conversation and he didn't know how to respond to the principal's question.

"Someone's going to be held responsible for doing this to you, Cloud. I'm done watching it happen without stepping in. Was it Tony, one of Tony's friends, or your mother?"

Cloud took a deep breath and tried to stop from shaking. He couldn't lie about this; his lie would be exposed in no time. On the other hand, he couldn't admit that it was his mother. He would be taken away from her and sent who knows where. He would be sent away from Leon. He would be alone and then there would be no one to love him; no one to care about him. That thought caused his tremors to intensify.

"I know this is hard, Cloud. I know you're scared and I really don't like to do this to you, but I can't help but feel that I'm allowing it to go on. It needs to stop. They need to stop hurting you."

Cloud's eyes fell to the floor again. Even his brick wall defense system wasn't helping him at the moment.

"Did Tony do this to you? Did one of his friends or your mother?"

Cloud clenched his jaw then shook his head. "I fell."

"You fell?" Sephiroth asked, sitting back in his chair.

Cloud began to nod slowly then froze. He trembled once more then nodded again.

The principal sighed and shook his head. "That's a typical response for a child from an environment of domestic abuse." He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began writing. "I can't ignore that fact."

Cloud's eyes shot up and looked at the principal again, wide with terror. "W-what? N-no…"

Sephiroth looked back at the blond. The sight before him broke his heart but he knew he was doing the right thing. "I care about your well-being, Cloud. I'm sorry, but I have to send someone-"

"No, please…" Cloud asked, voice shaking and the first tear escaping his frightened eyes.

"I know you won't lie to me because it would be too easy to prove it wrong." the principal said, putting down his pen. "You said you fell. Would you like to revise your answer?"

Cloud's eyes searched the back wall behind Sephiroth before focusing on Sephiroth's. He was at a loss of what to say.

There were a few moments of silence as Sephiroth watched the blond struggle. Cloud dropped his eyes back to the floor and gave no definitive answer. He let his tears trickle down his face freely.

"I'll be sending someone to your home, then." the principal said softly. "You'll be all right, Cloud. I promise it will all work out for you. You'll be safe."

Cloud shook his head as a few more tears escaped his eyes. "Don't do this…"

"You can't stay there if she's hurting you like this." Sephiroth said, voice calm and soothing even though it was having no effect on the distraught blond.

"Please…" the blond looked up at Sephiroth with large, glassy, blue eyes. "Please don't…"

The sight of Cloud like this continued to break the principal's heart. The blond looked so defeated and terrified but he knew that it would work out for the better if he went ahead and did this. "You'll be okay. I promise."

Cloud was completely overwhelmed. There wasn't a whole lot that could go wrong after this. His mother hated him and attacked him the night before. Tony was back at school and obviously knew about the blond being threatened with a knife; Tony's feelings about that still unclear. Were they plotting another attack? Leon was upset with him. The brunet was so filled with anger right now and Cloud couldn't help but feel he caused some of it by once again telling Leon that he would be _fine_. He felt stupid for letting that slip. And now, the principal was pulling him from school until he knew what was happening to him. If Cloud was honest with Sephiroth and told him everything then he would be able to stay in school and would be in on this investigation of his home life and his mother. Now he had to wait and find out what was going to happen to him. There was no doubt in his mind that his mother would be exposed in no time and he would be taken away from her. He would have to move away from the woman. He would have to leave his life behind. He would have to leave Leon behind.

Cloud's heart clenched at that last thought and another tear escaped from his eyes. Leon had to move so far away so that he wouldn't accidently run into his father. Cloud would have to do the same. He didn't notice when his breathing came in short, rushed pants, but suddenly he began to feel dizzy and the room spun around him. He fought to take in a deep breath but it just got caught in his throat causing him to gasp, something blocking him from his next intake and he began to panic.

_I can't breathe!_

"Cloud?" the principal's voice registered, sounding like he was hearing it from underwater. "Cloud, are you alright? Tell me what's happening?"

Cloud fought again to take in a breath but the tightness in his chest prevented him from doing so. The blond's mouth opened but nothing was coming in.

_I… can't breathe!_

"Cloud?!" Sephiroth's voice sounded closer yet far away, almost drowned by the sound of his franticly beating heart pounding in his ears. "Cloud!"

Everything went black.

-.-.-.-

'_No known end of time, but that's to be expected.'_

Leon's words echoed through the blond's mind. Leon didn't know that Cloud read a couple of entries in his journal, but in Cloud's mind it was Leon reading it to him. Time goes on forever, even when we don't want it to, even when we're not around to witness it.

'_What else are we to know but time and more time?'_

The basis of human life; time ruled everything; when you woke up, where you had to be, and to plan what you're to do with the time you have left. Time didn't slow down when you really need it to. Cloud was running out of time with Leon, if he had to leave. The thought bothered him but his body was too heavy to make too much of a reaction. Everything was still dark, but Leon's calm voice echoed in the back of his mind.

'_I'll wait, but for how long?'_

What wasn't Cloud waiting for? He waited for his mother to snap out of this funk she's been going through for years. He waited for graduation so he didn't have to put up with Tony and his entourage. He waited for the right time to be with Leon. Maybe his time was short. Maybe he wouldn't have the time to get there with his boyfriend.

'_I'll endure, but to what extent?'_

The story of his life; although, his boundaries seemed to go on for miles. How many people have to deal with the load of shit Cloud dealt with both at school and at home? Leon made things better; Leon gave him a safe place to be and the emotional support the blond required, but how was that going to change when he was forced to leave his boyfriend behind?

'_No known end to my patience, but I will fight.'_

Leon's words said it perfectly. Cloud endured everything thrown at him. He fought back and remained patient with his mother until time dictated that he could leave and begin his own life completely independent from her. His time was being cut short; however, and the lack of control on the blond's part meant that he wouldn't be able to decide where to go or who to be with. What was all the fighting for, then? What did he fight for if his goal was going to be snatched away from him?

'_Someday, but not today'_

And now he had to wait. He had to wait for someone to tell him where he was going to go and how he should begin a new life. The thought disgusted him and he had always thought that 'someday' would not be so close. It always seemed so far away but after speaking with the principal, it was much closer than he hoped. It scared the shit out of him.

'_I need a cause, but not for myself.'_

To remove himself from the hell at home, he never considered his own safety as a reason to make his life better. A part of him maybe wondered if he deserved this life, but that was never something Cloud allowed himself to think too much about. He needed a concrete reason to make things better, but a reason concerning himself was never good enough. Before he just wanted to wait until graduation then he could start taking charge, but his wants were no longer a deciding factor. The power had been taken away from him and once the principal gets fully involved Cloud will have no use for a 'cause' anymore. One would be handed to him whether he liked it or not.

'_Am I worth it? Is he worth it?'_

This life Cloud had been leading was normal for him. He had learned to cope with it and really didn't think he was worth the trouble of a full-fledged investigation of his mother on his behalf. He could live the rest of his student life this way and get out once he was of age, but now the decision was going to be forced upon him. The sorrow and fear of the unexpected future spiked in Cloud's chest but he still couldn't move. The blackness had him pinned down on the soft surface. Is Leon worth it? Is Leon worth the torture and agony Cloud would endure when he is forced to move away? Yes, he is. Cloud loved him. What's going to happen?

'_No known answer, but that's to be expected'_

And the uncertainty of what his life was about to become dwelled over the blond's head. It was to be expected; Cloud saw it coming from a mile away but chose to ignore it. The principal had said that the teachers were already concerned for the blond and have spoken about what's going on on more than one occasion. Sephiroth was pursuing it and Cloud knew that he was waiting for enough information, but he had hoped that he could wait it out and graduate before anything could happen. He would be an idiot to think that the principal would let this go.

'_As well.'_

Leon's velvet voice echoed in Cloud's head. He wanted so badly to cry but his unconsciousness left little power for the blond over his own body. He wanted Leon to hold him. He wanted Leon to take him away so the blond wouldn't have to deal with the upcoming disaster to emerge from this investigation. He knew it wouldn't last long. One hour with his mother would prove to anyone that Cloud needed to get out of there; so little time left before plans were put into motion for Cloud's relocation and the end of the relationship with the man he loved with all of his heart.

-o-o-o-

:(


	20. Chapter 19

A/N: Sorry it's been a few weeks since the last update. I'm also sorry that I am so unsure of when I can update in the future, but I'll keep trying. Whether I update weekly or monthly, there will always be an update. Salacity has an ending and will get it.

I wanted to again thank everyone who leaves a review. I appreciate it so much and will work towards making sure you guys get a reply.

Now- what does happen to Cloud after the black-out? Hmm…

-o-o-o-

Cloud's eyes began to flutter open when he first became aware of light through his eyelids. He reluctantly opened his eyes a crack only to close them again when the light stung his vision. He was far too comfortable; his body felt like it was made of lead as it sunk him into the soft mattress it rested on. _Soft mattress?_ Cloud thought he was in his own bed but if memory served him correctly, that wasn't the case. He strained his ears to listen for a clue as to where he was and a slew of unfamiliar sounds flooded his mind.

A quiet murmur of voices filled the air around him and he could hear people walking in the distance. Nothing sounded familiar and he attempted to open his eyes again to gain a bearing of where he was. The light wasn't all that bright but it still stung his eyes as they opened slowly. He glanced around without moving his head in hopes of seeing something, anything, that might offer a clue as to his whereabouts. The white ceiling above was spotted with yellow pot lights and a window to an evening sky was on his left. He tilted his head to the left to glance out the window and examined the blinds. He took a short, shuddering breath in and turned his head to the right. His breath hitched as his eyes locked on his mother sitting on a chair a few feet away from the bed he was on, eyes partially closed and looking completely dazed. A large window was behind her with the unmistakable view of a hospital beyond the window partly obscured by long curtains. She didn't seem to notice that he had woken up.

Cloud closed his eyes once more while returning his head back to its original position, facing upwards towards the ceiling. He furrowed his eyebrows and held his breath as his bruised brow sent a shock of pain through his head. He didn't want to think about what happened even though it was obvious. He remembered an overwhelming feeling of panic overtake him in the principal's office and how difficult it was to breath. He remembered Principal Sephiroth's voice calling out to him and how far away he sounded even though he was a few feet away, at most. Cloud could recall everything going black then hearing Leon's velvet, jaded voice reciting an entry Cloud had read before from Leon's journal. The entry, to Cloud's surprise, was memorized from that one reading and its message seemed to relate to what Cloud was going through. Even though Leon may have had another motive for writing it, Cloud couldn't help but feel attached to that one entry and the meaning it held for the blond in his current situation.

_Am I worth it? Is he worth it?_

Cloud fought the urge to sigh as that one line echoed through his mind. He preferred not hinting that he was awake, nervous it would only spark some sort of conversation between his mother and him.

_Am I worth it?_ Cloud never was one to think of himself as anything special. The way he grew up, he began to think of himself as the opposite. What was he worth? Cloud began to shake his head then stopped just in case his mother caught the motion. Nothing he did or would ever do would be solely for himself. What was the point? Life was a rollercoaster ride and all you could do was ride it out and pray you didn't fly out of your seat. You fought to hold onto the bar to preserve your life or your values, much like the way he fought Tony. Cloud would never start a fight; no, the blond didn't think it was worth it, but he would never stop fighting back. He had to preserve himself.

_Is he worth it?_ Cloud's heart throbbed as he asked himself the question. Although he and Leon hadn't known each other all that long, what they'd been through so far had expediated the development of their relationship. That, and Leon had life experience beyond his age. Leon was Cloud's pillar. Even though the initial attraction brought them together, Leon understood what Cloud was going through. Understood it, not sympathized with it, and with him going through a similar experience himself it allowed Cloud to trust him so much more than he would anyone else. So, was he worth the pain that was coming; the pain from separation due to Sephiroth launching an investigation and possibly sending Cloud away? Cloud began to shake his head again at the stupid question but stilled once more. _Of course he is!_ Cloud had no doubt in his mind that he was truly in love with the brunet and the thought of their separation pained him so badly.

That thought caused the blond to think of the frustration Leon held towards Cloud before he left to the principal's office. He could feel the prickling of tears forming behind his closed eyelids as he recalled just how angry Leon had seemed. In all honesty, Cloud hadn't meant to utter those three words he knew Leon hated so much: _I'll be fine_; they had just slipped because he was so used to hiding behind them. Leon had once told him that every time that Cloud said that, he was lying to him. Leon had told him that it needed to stop. Cloud had let it slip at one of the worst times, as well, when Leon was already enraged about Tony's being back at school.

_He will never love you. He doesn't believe in love._

Cloud's heart took another beating as his insecurities flooded back. Leon did one outstanding job keeping Cloud's vulnerability at bay when Cloud had broken down, but it didn't help now as Cloud laid in his hospital bed with his mother who didn't love him feet away, and his boyfriend angry at him. Did Leon even know that Cloud was here? Was he informed that Cloud was taken to the hospital after suffering what seemed to be a major anxiety attack? Was Leon still waiting at the library for Cloud's call to let him know that he was done with his meeting with the principal? Cloud's heart thudded in his chest as he wondered what Leon was doing at this very moment. _He won't tell me he loves me, but he expresses those feelings in a different way_ Cloud thought to himself in attempts to ease his throbbing heart.

_What if he _does_ know where you are and chooses not to be with you?_

Cloud's eyes squeezed shut as a rush of pain flooded his chest. It could very well be true; Leon was upset with him. Maybe the brunet thought it would be best to not see Cloud right now. Maybe the brunet stopped caring. Cloud sniffled quietly and tried to expel those thoughts from his mind but they kept egging him on. Leon wasn't the most expressive person in the world and maybe Cloud had been reading more into what was happening than was really there.

_He told me that he cared about me; that I matter to him._

_He probably wanted to get into your pants._

Cloud couldn't help but shake his head.

_He stopped us from going all the way because-_

_He's a good actor. A puppet-master._

Cloud shook his head again.

"You're awake." a soft voice said from his right, drawing the blond from his inner, self-inflicted torture.

Cloud opened his eyes and a tear escaped. He sniffled and turned his head towards his mother who was now looking up at him with stone-cold eyes.

"What are you crying over?" she asked icily, eyes narrowing as the blond lifted a hand to wipe away his tear.

"Nothing…" Cloud responded quietly, turning his head back to look up at the ceiling.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you pass out?" she asked, voice just as hard as previously.

Cloud hesitated before answering. _Because you're in a lot of shit and I'm about to be forced to move far away!_ "I don't know…"

His mother gave an annoyed sigh and slumped further in her chair. Cloud looked back over to her, noticing that she was avoiding looking at him. He sniffled once more and watched as a few people walked by the window before noticing someone standing by the door. It was a tall man in a security uniform with his arms crossed over his chest, looking incredibly bored. The man looked back at him briefly before looking at Cloud's mother then back to the activity in the hallway.

Cloud watched him for a few minutes longer before looking back at the ceiling. Sephiroth must have told the hospital staff that he was not to be left alone with his mother. That meant that Sephiroth was already beginning to organize this investigation; he wasn't going to back down.

Cloud felt himself shiver at the thought and wondered whether his mother suspected anything by the security guard's presence. It didn't seem like she did and it was very likely that she was drunk, high, or both at the moment so she wouldn't be able to pick up on those little details.

"What happened last night?" her voice broke the quiet hum of hospital activity that was filling the room.

Cloud sighed and shook his head. How was he supposed to answer that? What exactly did she mean by the question? Did she want to know why he didn't open his door when she came back for a second-round attack? Was she so off her rocker that she really didn't remember the night before? The blond struggled with this dilemma before choosing a safe, neutral answer.

"I was working on my homework."

"I mean," she practically snarled. "Why couldn't you keep your mouth shut about being… Why couldn't you graciously make plans to take Lizzie for a nice night out?" She sat up straighter in her chair. "What happened to you that you've become such a difficult child all of a sudden?"

Cloud rolled his head and looked at his mother. "I didn't mean to be difficult. I just wanted them to know that-"

"Don't say it!" she hissed, raising a hand in the air as if that act alone would shut him up. "Can't you pretend to be normal for once in your life?"

"I'm not a difficult child, Mom." Cloud said, his heart tugging as he spoke the word 'Mom'. All of a sudden he felt a need to be accepted by her. He felt like a three year old. She was supposed to love him, right? Someone was supposed to. "I don't want to be difficult, I'm sorry. I don't want to be different. I don't know why-"

"Stop it, Cloud." his mother interrupted, sitting back in her chair. "Stop playing the victim here. I'm the victim." she spat, pointing to her own chest. "First your father leaves me then you turn out to be… like _this_."

"I'm sorry." Cloud almost sobbed. He was breaking down and he was breaking down fast. He didn't even try to stop the tear from escaping his eye. He wanted her to understand that he didn't want to be the problem anymore.

"Damn right; you should be. After all I've done for you; given you a place to sleep, food to eat, clothes to wear; and _this_ is the thanks I get." She seemed to be becoming angrier with every word. "Ungrateful bastard."

Cloud's eyes spilled a few more tears as he took in every word. Maybe he was ungrateful. Maybe he was the problem. What else could explain a mother hating her only child?

"M-mom… please…"

"Enough," she said, shaking her head. "I've heard enough."

Cloud choked on another sob and turned his head so he was facing up again. The pain he felt cut through his chest and his lungs felt as though they were trying to smother his heart. What had he done so wrong? He couldn't understand it and for the life of him, he didn't know how to fix it. He felt weak and shaken and wished that he could take everything back.

He stayed that way, listening to his mother let out a frustrated sigh every few minutes before the air in the room changed. Something urged him to turn his head and what he saw made him sob harder, tears streaking down his defeated features.

Leon stood in the doorway watching Cloud as the blond turned his head towards him. When Cloud began losing control over his hurt, Leon turned his head to look at the woman sitting on the chair away from Cloud's bed. Cloud's eyes stayed focused on the brunet as he absorbed as much of him as possible, aching to be held, aching to hear his voice, aching feel his warmth. He watched as a dark shadow clouded in Leon's eyes as he took in the sight of Cloud's mother for the first time, an ounce of hatred and curiousity becoming very apparent in the blue-gray pools. Cloud's eyes darted to his mother just as she looked up at Leon, her eyes examining him before she stood up from her chair.

"Good, you stay with him." she huffed, brushing Leon off as if he were piece of trash. "I've been here for hours. I need a smoke." She took one last glance at Cloud, eyes emitting the same hatred he saw the night before, as she brushed past Leon without further acknowledgement.

Leon watched her pass him, not stepping out of her way before his eyes focused on the blond in the hospital bed. Cloud's eyes met his before it became too painful to look at him and he turned towards the window, fresh tears falling down his cheeks.

"Cloud," Leon said lowly, his voice smoother than silk and so full of worry.

Leon's voice cut the blond deep, causing him to choke on another sob before he sniffled and fought to regain control over his emotions.

"Cloud, babe," Leon's voice sounded again as the brunet made his way around the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking down at glassy, blue eyes.

Cloud's eyes remained fixated outside of the window and he fought not to look up at his boyfriend. Leon sat in front of him and he could feel the brunet's stare surveying the blond's condition. Cloud took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming himself so he didn't seem so feeble in front of Leon. They stayed that way for a moment longer before Cloud felt Leon's hand gently stroke the side of his head, brushing blond, silky locks back from Cloud's face.

"What happened, Cloud?" Leon's voice was almost a whisper.

Cloud opened his mouth before closing it again. How was he to explain this? It never occurred to him before this moment that he would have to tell Leon that he failed at keeping his secret about home and now, because of it, they would be separated. He felt like he had let Leon down. Leon warned him about what would happen if the school knew what happened to him at home and Cloud went ahead and blew it. He was a failure.

"Cloud?" Leon's voice whispered again, continuing to stroke the side of Cloud's head. "Cloud, look at me, okay? Please look at me."

Cloud sniffled and felt a pang of hurt stab through his chest. _You wouldn't look at me when I needed you to at the library…_ Cloud's lower lip quivered slightly before he worried it between his teeth.

Leon leaned down and brushed his nose against the side of Cloud's head, breathing in the blond's scent before kissing him lightly on his temple. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered into Cloud's ear. "I'm so sorry for getting angry, Cloud. I didn't mean to take it out on you." He kissed Cloud's temple again, this time letting his lips linger over the warm skin. "I'm worried sick about you."

Cloud took in a deep breath and leaned his head towards Leon's, closing his eyes before turning his head towards the brunet. He opened his sad eyes and felt anxious about their upcoming conversation. _I let you down…_ Blue-gray eyes watched the blond intently and Leon's beauty made Cloud's heart throb painfully.

"It's nothing serious." Cloud began lowly, watching Leon's eyes watching him. "I blacked out. I'm probably only here as a precaution."

"They said you blacked out, but why?" Leon asked, his jaded expression still in tact. It seemed so out of place considering the circumstance. It seemed so expected considering who he was.

"Leon…" Cloud said, feeling his composure slipping again. He didn't know how to tell his boyfriend what had happened. "I… there was nothing I could say." Leon's eyes darted from Cloud's eyes to his bruise then back to his eyes again. Cloud knew the brunet was not stupid so he took a deep breath and continued. "They're going to investigate and I… I don't know what's going to happen to me."

Leon let out a shaky breath and bowed his head to rest it against Cloud's. He drew hand up and wrapped it protectively around Cloud's now trembling frame, stroking a line up and down the blond's spine. The silence that filled the room was almost deafening as the sounds from the establishment beyond the open door were drowned out. Cloud tried to calm his shaking but it was a losing battle. The relief of Leon being there was overcome by the grief that he didn't know how much longer he had to be with the brunet before he would be taken away. He was a minor; he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Shh, shh…" Leon whispered as Cloud continued to sob, the blond unaware that he was doing so.

"I'm sorry for this." Cloud said in a low, shaky voice. He leaned closer to Leon and sought out the heat from the brunet's body. "I didn't mean-"

"Shh, Cloud… It's not your fault." Leon reassured, pulling Cloud closer. "We'll find a way." Cloud shook his head and breathed in Leon's scent, the pleasant, clean, familiar smell causing his heart to throb painfully. "And about your mother, Cloud, that's not your fault either." Leon continued, lifting his head so he could look straight into Cloud's. "Stop apologizing to her; you have no reason to."

"I don't know what to think anymore…" Cloud said, his eyes searching Leon's jaded ones. He didn't realize that Leon had heard their conversation before he entered the room.

"Then trust in me," Leon said softly. "You have no reason to apologize to her."

Cloud watched Leon's eyes focus on him and weakly nodded. "Okay."

"Charming woman…" Leon said, his eyes softening as he leaned down and kissed Cloud's forehead.

Cloud let out a huff and shook his head. "Too bad I didn't inherit that charm, ya?"

"Yeah, too bad," Leon said, his lips twitching before they set in their usual nonchalant expression. "We'll figure something out. I'm not prepared to let you go."

Cloud's chest filled with an incredible sense of gratitude for the brunet, laced with an overwhelming feeling of love. He smiled softly as he stared up at his boyfriend just as his mother walked back into the room bringing the smell of cigarettes in with her.

Both Leon and Cloud looked over at the woman as she sat back into the chair heavily, eyes watching them with a mixture of anger and disgust. Leon looked back at Cloud and tilted his head. "I have a phone call to make. I'll be back after I'm done, okay?"

Cloud looked back at Leon and nodded, his previous smile completely vanished. He didn't want Leon to leave but the assurance that he'd be back shortly made it bearable.

Leon's eyes searched the blond's once more before he leaned down and placed a short, gentle kiss against Cloud's lips. He sat up, looking down at the blond's apprehensive expression and closed one eye. "One more smile?"

Cloud felt the urge to chuckle but hid it well. He wanted to smile but thought it would be more amusing not to. "A smile for a smile. Deal?"

Leon rolled his eyes before looking back into Cloud's. "Smile for me, Cloud." he said gently, running a hand through Cloud's blond hair affectionately.

Cloud didn't realize he smiled until Leon nodded and winked. "Good stuff. I'll be right back."

Cloud continued to smile as he watched his boyfriend walk towards the door. Before he left he looked back at the blond with soft eyes then walked out of the room.

Cloud's eyes wandered over to his mother who was watching him with the same look of disgust she had when she came back into the room. Cloud took a deep breath then looked up at the ceiling.

"That your boyfriend?" she asked, her voice sounding angry but controlled.

Cloud took in another deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, his name is Leon."

"I don't care what his name is." his mother spat back. "It was rude to do those things in front of your mother."

"Do what things?" Cloud asked, genuinely confused as he turned his head back towards his mother.

"You think it's appropriate to make out with your boyfriend in front of people?" Her voice rose and she was obviously becoming even more frustrated with him.

"We didn't _make out_, dear Shiva! Give it a rest!" Cloud said a little more angrily than he had wanted. "I don't want to start a fight here, so please stop it."

"I beg your pardon?" his mother almost shouted, sitting up straight in her chair.

"Look, you don't want to be here so why don't you just go home?" Cloud said, his voice lowering in hopes of bringing hers down. "I'll be fine. I don't need you here." He couldn't help but inwardly cringe at the words '_I'll be fine'_ and hoped that Leon wasn't close enough to hear it.

"A mother can't worry about her son anymore?" she said, eyes narrowing at the blond.

"Oh Gods…" Cloud moaned, lifting his hand to his head. He was starting to get a pounding headache. "You don't need to put on a show here, okay? No one cares whether you're here or not, and unless you want to sit here and quietly watch Leon and I _make out_ then you'd better just go home."

"What's gotten into you?" his mother said in a shrill voice. Cloud noticed the security guard glance into the room and watch his mother.

"You hate me, remember? Or were you just so drunk that you don't remember saying that?" Cloud shot back, leveling his mother's eyes with his own. She remained speechless. Cloud continued. "I'll be home soon. I only blacked out and will probably be discharged once the doctor realizes I'm awake and well. Go home." His eyes found Leon, who had just walked back into the room, striding over to Cloud's bed and sitting down beside the blond.

"Leon will keep me company until I'm discharged. You don't have to be here if you really don't want to be." Cloud said, looking back at Leon.

Leon's eyes scanned Cloud's quickly before he looked over at Cloud's mother. "I'll stay with him."

Cloud's mother's lips tightened when Leon spoke to her and her eyes searched his face. The anger and disgust were still very apparent in her eyes as she looked from Leon to Cloud then back at Leon again. Cloud looked back at Leon to find the brunet's eyes were clear and calm, not giving off a hint of what he was thinking about. That clarity fascinated Cloud as he looked between the two people in the room. Leon's eyes didn't budge; they held her stare confidently and stayed focus even when Cloud felt the brunet's hand take his own. The warmth of Leon's hand on Cloud's made the blond smile softly before he looked back at his mother.

"Whatever…" she practically snarled, giving up on staring Leon down before she stood up from her chair. "You and I," she started, pointing at Cloud. "We'll talk more about this at home." With that, she turned around and left the room. The security guard watched her before shifting his stance again.

Cloud gave Leon's hand a gently squeeze as he turned towards his boyfriend whose eyes were still watching the door where she had just left. He searched the colour in Leon's eyes and tugged on the brunet's hand, bringing his mind back to the present.

"I never really wanted you to meet her." Cloud said as Leon turned his gaze on him. "She's not really the type mother you want to introduce to your boyfriend."

Leon pursed his lips and shook his head. "I'm glad I met her." he said lowly. "Takes the mystery out of everything."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, settling more comfortably in bed.

"I've heard about her; I've heard her yell, I know what she does, but I've never met her. Never knew what she looked like." Leon explained, stretching out on the bed propped up with one elbow and drew Cloud's body up against his own. "The unknown is always more scary than the actual thing."

Cloud chuckled and snuggled up against the warmth of Leon's body. "You're making her sound like the boogey monster."

Leon looked down at Cloud with still, calm eyes. "Only a monster could hurt you, Cloud."

Cloud smiled and he took a deep breath. He felt light but that soon evaporated when he reminded himself that their time together was short. "I'd rather live with a monster and have you."

"You have me." Leon said softly, nuzzling blond hair with his nose.

"I don't want to be away from you." Cloud couldn't help but frown as he thought about how far away he might be sent. He instinctively moved back closer against Leon's body and reached for his hand. He brought Leon's hand around his body and placed a few kisses against the brunet's knuckles.

"Worst case scenario, Cloud, is that you're sent away and move back when you're officially an adult." Leon explained, watching the blond's pink lips dance across his knuckles.

Cloud placed a particularly long kiss against the back of Leon's hand then held it against his cheek. "I don't want to be away from you." he repeated, closing his eyes and rubbing the soft flesh of his cheek against Leon's smooth hand.

Leon sighed and lowered his body to spoon Cloud. "I know, babe…"

They stayed in that position for a long while before the doctor entered the room. He looked at Cloud's chart before his eyes traveled to the two boys cuddling on the hospital bed. Both Cloud and Leon looked up at the doctor and waited for him to speak.

"Well, Cloud, things seem to be okay. I'm prescribing an anti-depressant to curb your panic attacks." he spoke while scribbling on his prescription pad. "I'd like you to follow up in two weeks. Until then, take these-"

"It's okay," Cloud interrupted. He sat up in bed out of Leon's embrace and rubbed the back of his head. _I may not be here in two weeks._ "I don't need medication."

"You blacked out, Cloud." the doctor said, watching Cloud shift uncomfortably. "Panic attacks may be common, but you blacked out completely for hours. That's not common. I would prefer you to take the medication until your follow-up"

Cloud swallowed deeply and wondered what time it was. It wasn't something he'd thought about since he woke up. He looked at the prescription in the doctor's hand and thought about his mother. "No, I appreciate your concern, but I won't take the medication."

The doctor looked down at the blond and pulled the prescription back. "May I ask why?"

_Because I'm not my mother…_ Cloud shifted uncomfortably again on the bed and felt Leon stand up, his weight leaving the mattress behind him. He looked over his shoulder at the brunet as the brunet stood at the foot of the bed.

"I… just don't think it's necessary." Cloud explained, itching to get out of the hospital. He _hated_ hospitals.

"Cloud, I must-"

"He doesn't want the medication." Leon interrupted the doctor. "Thank you for your concern, but he doesn't want it." His voice was firm but respectful.

Cloud bit his lower lip then looked back at the doctor. "Can I go now?"

The doctor looked at Leon then back at Cloud. "Yeah, Cloud. You can go."

-.-.-.-

Leon stood behind Cloud with his hands on the blond's shoulder as Cloud read over the form he was given. It didn't make sense to him… _Temporary foster home?_ He zoned out and stared at the form blankly, clutching the pen in his hand tightly. _This is really happening…_ He couldn't move a muscle and barely registered Leon's hand squeeze his shoulder gently.

"Cloud? Are you alright?" Leon's voice whispered against his ear. His breath tickled Cloud's neck and the blond found himself numbed by it.

"I… I don't understand…" Cloud said lowly, looking over the words again with narrowed eyes.

Leon shifted and held the blond from behind. He wrapped his arms around Cloud and rested his chin on the blond's shoulder. "They won't let you go home alone with her unless they know you'll be safe." the brunet explained. Leon knew what was going on. He'd been through it himself. "It's temporary until they… find somewhere permanent for you to go."

Cloud clenched his jaw and continued to stare blankly down at the form. His insides we trembling but on the outside he remained numb. He didn't notice the three people standing to their left until he heard a familiar voice.

"You're going to be alright, Cloud." Cloud turned his head with distraught eyes and found Principal Sephiroth standing beside two people he didn't know. Sephiroth frowned and took a step closer to the couple. "We're trying to find you a place just outside of the restricted zone so you can be as close to Leon as possible."

"Restricted zone…" Cloud repeated with a dull voice. Nothing was really sinking in.

"You have to be at least fifty kilometers away from her to be safe." Leon explained, bowing his head to breath in the blond's scent before placing a soft kiss under Cloud's ear. "It's about a forty minute drive away providing they find somewhere at the edge of the restricted zone."

Cloud's body began to tremble again as the only words that he understood were 'fifty kilometers' and 'forty minutes'. That was too far. He'd never see Leon. _And that's at the edge of the restricted zone._ The blond opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. He really didn't know what he was about to say. He closed his mouth again as his eyes found their way back to the form. He felt another hand on him, probably Sephiroth's.

"I'll be working with you to find a new school so you can finish up high school. We can meet whenever you want."

Cloud bit his lower lip and leaned back into Leon. "How much time do I have?" he asked weakly, letting out a shuddered breath as Leon's arms gave him a firm squeeze.

"It depends on the investigation, but I estimate it'll be about a week to two weeks before they find you a permanent home." the principal said, looking back at the other two people beside him. "These two are representatives from Children's Village, an agency that places children and teens into new homes."

Cloud shook his head and looked down to the floor. "Where am I going for now?" He distinctly felt Leon tense and pull back slightly but something told the blond that it wasn't a bad thing.

"Wait…" Leon said, voice sounding almost rushed despite the fact that no one was ready to interrupt him. "He can stay with a consenting adult until _they_ find a home, right?" he asked the principal, nodding towards the two people standing behind Sephiroth.

Cloud looked back over his shoulder and furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

Leon looked back at Cloud then to Sephiroth. "My roommate is twenty-two. Can he watch Cloud for a few weeks instead of sending him to a temporary home?"

"It's only temporary, Leon." Sephiroth explained easily. "Cloud will still have to move outside of-"

"The restricted zone, yeah. I know that." Leon interrupted. "But at least he can stay with me until then." He looked over at the dumbfound blond and took a step closer, taking the blond's hand in his own. "It's better than staying at a temporary foster home." Leon looked back at the Children's Village agency people. "Is that an option?"

The man from the agency looked over at the woman and nodded. "Yeah, as long as your roommate is willing and agrees to the terms of the arrangement." He looked back at Leon. "I don't think there will be a problem."

Cloud's wide eyes roamed from the man from the agency to Leon, shocked. "You think… Zell…"

Leon nodded and pulled out his phone. "Zell loves you, Cloud. He'd do anything to keep you safe."

The woman from the agency stepped forward and smiled at Cloud. "Zell needs to come down here to sign a few forms, then. Is he available?"

Leon shot her a quick look as he put his phone to his ear. Cloud listened to the one sided conversation and was taken aback from how short it was. Leon quickly explained what was going on and asked Zell if he was willing to give Cloud a temporary home in the mean time before telling him which hospital they were at. No convincing, no further explanation; Zell was on his way.

Cloud could feel himself shake as his eyes met with Leon's, the brunet looking full of energy as he put his phone back into his pocket. He took a step closer to Cloud and wrapped his arms around the blond, pulling him into a tight embrace. Cloud was still in shock as he put his arms around Leon's body and breathed in his scent.

Sephiroth smiled and looked back at the people from the agency before looking back at the couple. "You have a good friend, Leon. And you have a good boyfriend, Cloud."

Cloud glanced over at Sephiroth before closing his eyes, allowing himself to relax in Leon's arms. _Two weeks… Two more weeks before I'm placed in my new home. My new life._

Leon's hold on Cloud tightened slightly before he rubbed circled across Cloud's back. It was as if he heard Cloud's thoughts as he whispered, "We'll find a way. We have a little more time to figure it out."

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut and pushed himself closer against Leon's body.

While they waited for Zell to arrive, Sephiroth explained the basic rules and regulations surrounding Zell's taking Cloud in until the investigation was complete. The Children's Village agency people had documents faxed to the hospital that would need to be filled out by Zell as Sephiroth spoke. Cloud was relieved that he would be able to attend classes like normal; however, it was a small positive footnote in a large thesis of negative situations. At least he would be able to say goodbye.

Cloud couldn't help but rub at his eyes every few moments from stress; the brunet not hesitating to pull Cloud's hands back down and stroke his back in hopes of easing the strain. It did very little.

When Zell arrived, his eyes locked on Cloud immediately as he flew across the hospital foyer, placing his hands on Cloud's shoulders as soon as he was close enough.

"Are you alright?" he asked, voice heavy with worry as he forcefully stared into Cloud's eyes. "Dear Shiva, Cloud…" he sighed, pulling the blond into a tight hug. "I'm frantic with worry."

Cloud hesitantly put his arms around Zell, body stiffening in the embrace from the guy he didn't know all that well. Zell was someone you liked straight from meeting him but Cloud wasn't used to the affection and worry Zell had for him right now. Cloud swallowed hard and took a shuddering breath in before responding. "I'm just a little shaken up right now."

"Of course you are." Zell said lowly, pulling back and looking back into the blond's eyes. "I can only imagine how scary this is for you, but everything will be alright, okay?" He brushed Cloud's bangs back from his sad eyes.

Cloud looked down to the ground, his sad expression saddening even further. How was everything going to be alright? He had ultimately got his mother into serious trouble and was going to be sent away from his friends, his life… from Leon.

Leon picked up on the weight of dread in Cloud's heart and stepped closer, placing his hand on the blond's back. "Lets not think about the future right now, okay?"

Cloud looked back at Leon with a frown. He was so exhausted. "Okay…"

Zell spoke with the agency people before signing without a moment's hesitation. After everything was explained to him, he made his way back to Leon and Cloud with his hands in his pockets. "Lets go home." he said lightly, eyes so completely sincere.

"Lets go home." Leon repeated lowly into Cloud's ear.

Cloud wished he wasn't so terrified. _Home_ with Leon would have otherwise made him the happiest person in the world.

-o-o-o-

Oh lordy… The fun I have messing with Cloud's life… Please review?


	21. Chapter 20

A/N: So, less than 20 days since the last update. Not terrible, no? I hope not. I don't have much written for the next chapter and I hope I can pull that together before I make you guys wait a long time for an update. Here's to hoping.

This chapter was fun to write. I feel bad for saying 'fun', but I'm happy with the way it turned out. I hope you guys are too. Enjoy!

-o-o-o-

Cloud felt numb when he stepped into Zell and Leon's house later that evening. _I'm home._ he thought to himself. His attempt to feel better about the whole situation didn't work, though. He was having a hard time processing what was going on in his life and wished that he hadn't attended school for a few days to allow the bruise to heal. That, or he could have lied and said that it was a sports injury, something unverifiable and he was sure he could have gotten Brad, Brantley, and Xander to vouch for it. Thinking about that made his heart ache. Why couldn't he have come up with that excuse sooner? He was so stressed when he sat in the principal's office that his brain wasn't working properly and now, because of that, his life would change.

After a few moments of self-pity, Cloud noticed that Leon was standing by the door with him, watching his face carefully. Cloud looked down to the ground before carefully removing his boots. He stood back up and looked straight back at Leon, eyes betraying his inner turmoil.

"I know, Cloud…" Leon said lowly, causing tears to form behind the blond's eyes. "There's nothing I can say to you that will help right now, but you just have to believe me. Everything will work out in the end."

Cloud's lower lip trembled before he opened his mouth to say something but stopped when Zell walked back out into the entranceway.

"I'll make us some food. You must be starving."

Cloud's eyes glided over to the other blond. "I'm not really…"

Zell gave Cloud a sad grin before nodding. "You need to try and eat something, anyway. I don't think you're going to feel hungry for a while."

Cloud sighed and wrapped his arms around himself in attempts to fight off the trembling that was starting to become outwardly apparent.

"I think Zell's right." Leon said, stepping closer and taking Cloud's arm in his hand. He pulled him gently towards the living room and took a seat on the couch after the blond had sat down. "You need to keep your strength up." He leaned closer to Cloud and rested his forehead against the blond's. "You believe me, right?"

The blond's eyes slowly traveled up until he met with soft blue-gray. He was having a hard time focusing. "W-what?"

"You believe me when I say that everything will work out in the end?" the brunet explained, leaning back on the couch and bringing the blond down against his chest.

"How long do I have to wait until everything will be alright?" Cloud asked, instinctively huddling closer to Leon's body and absorbing as much body heat as he could.

Leon paused before releasing a deep breath. "I can't tell you how long-"

"I'm sure everything will be alright in a few years once I've adjusted." Cloud interrupted, all of a sudden feeling incredibly angry. Angry at what, he didn't know. "I just don't want to wait that long. I don't want to leave you."

Zell came out of the kitchen after putting a casserole he had prepared earlier that day in the oven and leaned against the wall a few feet behind the couple cuddled up on the couch. He crossed his arms over his chest as the anxiety in the room reached him as well. He frowned to himself as he listened to the softly spoken conversation.

"I know, babe. I know, and I don't want you to leave either, but we'll make the most of it." Leon buried his nose in silky, blond spikes and breathed in his scent. "At the very least we will see one another every weekend. At the very _least_."

Cloud sniffled and moved closer to Leon, if that was all possible, and squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't want to be that far away from you."

Leon swallowed hard and blinked rapidly, fighting off the strong emotions he was feeling right now. He lifted his hand and began stroking Cloud's head softly. He didn't want to say a word at that time, uncertain of the control he had over his emotions. They stayed that way for a long while before Cloud broke the silence, unaware of Zell's presence still in the room.

"I can move back here when I'm eighteen; find my own apartment and be close to you again. I just… I don't like thinking about waiting that long."

"Me neither…" Leon replied in a small voice. He tightened his hold on Cloud a little more and closed his eyes. "We'll think of something." He had nothing else to offer. The boys on the couch sat in silence for a long while.

Zell let out a silent sigh and rested his head against the wall. He let his arms drop to his side just as the buzzer on the stove sounded, announcing supper was ready. He moved to the kitchen and prepared three plates before bringing them back to the living room where Leon and Cloud were situated. They ate in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts. It wasn't until each had finished their plate, Cloud taking a lot longer than the other two, before Zell spoke up.

"I suppose we can send for your things tomorrow." he said to the blond, voice seemingly light considering the circumstances. He knew Cloud was scared, upset, and probably depressed so he kept things light in hopes of easing something. Anything.

"How do we…" the blond began to question before his voice drifted off. He looked down at his hands which were unconsciously wringing the hem of his shirt.

"The agency people are probably already arranging it but I'll follow up with them tomorrow." Zell explained, eyes softening as he watched anxiety play across Cloud's delicate features. "Everything will be taken care of for you."

Cloud began biting on his lower lip, eyes still trained downwards on his hands. In any other situation his position would be the best thing to ever have happened to him. He was sitting with Zell and Leon, in their living room, as they discussed how to get Cloud moved in. His eyes darted up and took a quick sweep of the room before drifting slowly back down. He would otherwise hate the fact that he couldn't enjoy this but right now his mind was too preoccupied. How did his life become so fucked up?

Leon's eyes examined Cloud's face closely as the blond's expression shifted from sorrow to fear to anger and back to sorrow. He could sympathize; he could emphasize. He was no stranger to what Cloud was feeling. The only difference was that the brunet didn't leave anyone important behind. Cloud was, and Leon was going to have to share that loss. His heart ached in his chest and he felt the need to relax the blond. He'd been through enough today.

"Lets go talk in my room." Leon said to Cloud, eyes glancing to Zell, who nodded, before looking back at his boyfriend.

Cloud took a shaky breath in before his eyes dulled, all energy seeming to drain from his body. He sat perfectly still before his eyes drifted up slowly to meet with Zell's. "I'm so sorry… and thank you."

Zell's eyes narrowed and he began to ask the blond what he meant before shaking his head. "I can't even begin to tell you how unnecessary both of those statements are, Cloud." He leaned closer to the couple. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry or thank me for. You're my friend who is also my friend's boyfriend. If it were up to me you would be staying here instead of leaving. _I'm _sorry for not offering when I found out what was happening to you."

"Don't make this your fault." Cloud said, his voice low and weak.

"It's nobody's fault." Leon interjected, taking Cloud's hand in his own. "It's nobody's fault but your mother's and unfortunately you're the one who has to go through this because of it." Cloud lifted his other hand and began rubbing at his face apprehensively before Leon took a hold of it. "Lets go talk, okay?" he asked softly as the blond sniffled.

Cloud nodded before looking over at Zell. "Unnecessary or not, I'm really grateful that you are okay with me staying here."

Zell knew there was no arguing with the blond right now. Cloud had no idea how welcome he was in their house and Zell was feeling more than guilty for not stepping in sooner. He knew what happened to Leon. He should have known that it would happen to Cloud as well. Zell frowned and nodded before offering the blond a small smile. "I've always wanted younger brothers to pick on."

Cloud would have smiled if he didn't feel so emotionally drained. Instead, he looked over at Leon, who was watching Zell with soft eyes, before the brunet looked back at the blond. He stood up and pulled the blond with him before leading him into his bedroom; _their _bedroom.

Leon closed the door quietly behind them as Cloud made his way to the bed, sitting down lightly and closing his eyes. He truly wanted to be happy right now, the idea of living with Leon was an enticing one, but he wasn't able to let himself enjoy it because of everything else that was going on. He felt the bed dip beside him as Leon took a seat and he was gently pulled into a warm, alluring embrace. He allowed his body to relax but once he was able to relax enough, his body tensed up again.

Leon placed a few light kisses against Cloud's temple before resting his head against the blond's. Cloud's eyes fluttered open and he was curious as to why Leon's touch wasn't making him feel any better. He listened to the brunet's soft breath and took a soft breath in of his own, letting it out in a less than smooth exhale. His back was beginning to ache from all the tension wracking his body.

"I think you should take the next day or two off from school." Leon said quietly, almost startling the blond with the smoothest, most velvet voice heard by mankind.

Cloud cleared his throat and sighed. In all honesty, he could probably use a day off; a day off from the yelling, abuse, and stresses from school. He could use it but he slowly shook his head. "I'd rather go to school; act like everything's normal."

"If that's what you want, Cloud." Leon replied, placing another lingering kiss against the side of Cloud's head. His arms tightened around the blond and he pulled him slightly closer. "But it's okay if you need a day or two to unwind."

Cloud leaned into Leon's kiss and felt himself relax in the brunet's arms finally but it was short lived as the tension returned after the briefest relief. "I wouldn't be able to unwind if I stayed home from school. My mind wouldn't let me relax." The blond sighed once more, finding it difficult to rid of the feeling of not having enough oxygen. "I'd rather keep my mind off things."

Leon hummed in agreement and once again rested his head against the blond's. "Are you going to tell the guys tomorrow, then?"

Cloud processed the question in slow motion. He never thought that word might have already gotten around of what happened to him in the principal's office. They might already know that he had blacked out from a panic attack. They probably could also guess at the reason why. "I don't see why not." the blond answered quietly, eyes dropping to the floor. "Better now then tell them the day I leave."

Leon hummed again and lifted his hand to stroke the blond's bangs away from his eyes. He repeated the motion a few more times, running his hand through Cloud's bangs. "This whole day turned out to be a mess, but we can manage through it." the brunet said, seemingly out of nowhere, effectively confusing the blond.

"Manage through it?"

"We'll be okay." Leon reiterated, tilting his head to catch a glimpse at sad blue eyes.

"I-" the blond began before getting cut off by the brunet.

"_We'll_ be okay, Cloud. _We_ will come out of this okay." Leon tilted his head a little further and caught onto Cloud's eyes. Cloud turned his head slightly to get a better look at Leon, becoming drowned in blue-gray almost immediately. He felt tears forming behind his eyes again as he processed what Leon had said. Leon's eyes narrowed before softening. "We may not like the distance, but this isn't the end of us."

A tear managed to escape the corner of Cloud's eye and he looked down. It was becoming too painful to look at the brunet. Leon smoothed away Cloud's tear and sighed. "I know it probably doesn't help all that much, with everything that's happening, but I just wanted you to know that." Leon said, eyes watching his boyfriend suffer internally. "Just in case it helps a little."

Cloud swallowed hard and looked back up at Leon, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It helps, Leon." He leaned forward and rested up against the brunet's chest. He laid his head down on Leon's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. "Losing you is the most painful part of this whole thing."

"You're not losing me." Leon said, wrapping his own arms around the blond and held him tightly. "We'll still see each other. We can still talk to one another. We can make it work until we are able to make our own decisions about where _we_ want to be – together."

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut at the word _together_ and a few tears spilled from his eyes. He tightened his hold on Leon as if he were about to be taken away this moment. His heart raced in his chest and he held his breath, trying not to release the sob that was choking him up. Leon seemed to sense the need for silence at the moment as he quietly stroked Cloud's back, burying his nose in the silky, blond spikes. Cloud slackened his grasp on Leon and hid his face in the crook of Leon's neck and melted into Leon's touch. _This_ was what he was used to happening when Leon touched him. Leon relaxed him. Leon made it all better.

They stayed that way for a long while, Cloud calming in Leon's arms as the brunet stroked his back relieving the tension built up there from the strenuous day. Leon thought Cloud was beginning to fall asleep before he heard the blond let out a soft moan, shifting his body so he could rest his head on Leon's shoulder, large blue eyes lazily gazing up at him.

Cloud smiled softly, his eyes expressing the purest of love as they stared into Leon's. Neither said a word as they sat there, gazing at one another. Leon's heart skipped several beats and he briefly wondered why that was. As if Cloud heard his heart's stutter, the blond's smile widened ever so slightly. "S'nice…"

Leon watched Cloud's face but didn't find what he was looking for. "What's nice?"

"This," Cloud answered, arms moving to hold Leon more comfortably. "Just being with you."

Leon's eyes continued to watch Cloud's contented expression before he nodded. "Glad to be of service."

Cloud smirked before his features slackened. He melted further into Leon's embrace before arching his back.

"What is it?" Leon asked, hands readying to support the blond in whatever the blond might need.

Cloud let out a huff before shaking his head. "Back's sore."

Leon shifted slightly before sitting the blond up from the cocoon he'd created in Leon's arms. "I can make that better. Lay on your stomach." he said, tilting his head towards the head of the bed.

Cloud looked over his shoulder at the brunet with an unspoken question in his eyes. He glanced at the head of the bed then back at Leon. "You want me to what now?"

Leon rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. "I want to rub your back for you." the brunet explained, a hint of playfulness in his tone. "Get comfortable."

Cloud's lips curved in a hesitant smile before he nodded his head. He turned around and crawled across the bed, arranging the pillows before laying himself down on his stomach. He watched as Leon stood up from the bed and made his way around, climbing back on and sitting next to the blond. Cloud found it difficult to look at his boyfriend and wasn't sure if it was due to some unexplained embarrassment or innocent excitement, so he focused on positioning the pillows so he had his head resting on one and clung to the other as though he were snuggling up to Leon.

"Without being too forward," Leon started, watching the blond focus of getting comfortable. "It would be easier for me if you took off your shirt."

Without looking back at Leon, Cloud lifted himself off of his stomach and sat on his feet. He reached down, trying not to look as hesitant as he felt, and grasped the hem of his shirt before lifting it up over his head. He tossed his shirt to the foot of the bed before resuming his position amongst the pillows.

"Where does it hurt?" Leon asked, his voice low and rich causing the blond to shiver slightly.

"All over," Cloud answered, his voice barely over a whisper.

"Just relax." Leon said next as he placed his hands against the blond's skin, starting off slow and watched Cloud's body stiffen. "This is supposed to help relax you, not make you tenser."

"Sorry…" the blond said, trying his best to just let go and enjoy.

Leon let out a short huff, shaking his head even though the blond couldn't see. "Does this make you nervous? We don't have to… if you don't want. I just wanted to help."

"No," the blond answered immediately, readjusting his body to lay more comfortably with the pillows. "I want this. I'm relaxed; go on."

Leon moved his hands across Cloud's back and watched goose bumps form over his baby-soft skin. He wasn't sure if that was caused by his nervousness or because without his shirt he was a little chilly. He watched as Cloud's muscles would almost visibly tighten under his hands before relenting and loosening almost immediately as his hands smoothed them out. He wondered to himself whether the blond ever received a massage before.

"That feels good." Cloud said lowly, his voice causing no doubt in Leon's mind that his words were the truth. Cloud sighed lazily and the brunet could hear an almost silent moan in the back of the blond's throat. He began to feel as though this wasn't such a good idea.

He ran his hands up Cloud's back and firmly over his shoulders. He watched in marvel as Cloud almost craned his neck to allow the brunet better access before the blond seemed to sink further into the pillows, another soft sigh on his lips.

Leon licked his own lips and tried to focus on what he was doing but the blond's soft noises were making it hard not to think of something else. He scolded himself at that thought. His mind couldn't pick a worse time to be thinking of those things.

He forcefully removed his eyes from the blond's lips and focused on his shoulders. Both were lifted slightly as Cloud's arms were supporting the pillow under his head. Leon's eyes ran down firm arms and trailed the curves of modestly building muscles, which although appeared relaxed, still showed that the blond held great strength. His eyes appreciated this sight and began to move down further to the blond's forearms until they disappeared underneath the pillow. Even his forearms hinted at his strength although disguised beneath soft, flawless skin. He pursed his lips as he thought about those very arms wrapped around him, almost desperately at times, and thought that although vulnerable at times, Cloud was a strong young man.

He continued to move his hands across Cloud's back, earning gentle noises, as his eyes traveled back up Cloud's arms to his shoulders. He studied Cloud's shoulder blades just as his hands ran down them and memorized how they protruded out when the blond's arms were positioned as they were. The tight skin covering them looked just as silky as they felt underneath his hands even though still faintly covered in goose bumps. Leon didn't think it felt cold in his room but his warm thoughts could be responsible for making him feel that way.

Leon gently kneaded Cloud's shoulders while his eyes remained on the blond's shoulder blades, this time studying where they leveled just under his neck, seemingly meeting at the line that ran down the blond's back, hiding his spine. He ran a hand down the center of Cloud's back, trying to feel if he could determine where the blond's shoulder blades ended but the warmth from Cloud's skin distracted him just as Cloud moaned lowly. He was happy that he found the blond's sensitive area; down the line of his spine. He followed his spine with both his hands again, applying a gentle pressure and held his breath when the blond's previous low moan turned into a soft gasp, his body tensing before melting back into the mattress. Cloud sounded so good right now.

His hands continued to roam the blond's back as his eyes traveled a little further down where his back dipped towards the small of his back. He let his eyes linger and memorized the blond's skin texture and the way it felt when his fingers dragged across it. Cloud didn't tense as much now that he was relaxed enough to just enjoy the attention his back was receiving. His body felt heavy as his mind went blank, coming back every few moments as something Leon did felt particularly good.

Leon wished he knew what Cloud was thinking right now. The blond's goose bumps were gone by now and he listened to Cloud's soft breathing as he continued the massage. His eyes were still scrutinizing the blond's perfect skin at the small of his back before they traveled a little further, watching the blond's body rise slightly just as it disappeared underneath his pants. It was Leon's turn to get goose bumps.

He couldn't help but let his eyes linger on the blond's jeans, held up by a thick black belt with silver rings running the length. Cloud's slender hips were outlined by the denim fabric and Leon found himself licking his lips. Trying to distract himself from reacting to the blond's sounds was not working; Cloud's body was having the same, if not more, of an impact.

"Cloud?" Leon's voice was barely able to hide his thoughts.

"Mmm…?" the blond responded groggily.

"Does this feel good?" the brunet asked, closing his eyes tightly as such a simple question threw a tornado of less-than-innocent images across his mind. It was so completely unintentional.

"Mmm-hmm…" Cloud replied tiredly. "Don't stop…"

_Please stop… _the brunet begging himself in his own mind. He was trying to relax his boyfriend, not seduce him. It seemed as though he was seducing himself just by thinking about the blond; his soft noises; his skin. He needed to get this under control before he lost it and flipped Cloud over.

He brushed his hands over the blond's shoulder blades, causing said blond to moan lightly again. He took a deep breath and decided to make this whole experience a little less arousing.

"What are you going to say to the guys went we get to school?"

"Hmm… ?" Cloud asked, his brain seeming to slowly come out of its haze.

"Brad, Brantley, and Xander; what are you going to tell them?" It was an unnecessary question but he really needed to distract himself.

"I don't know." the blond answered, his voice suggesting that he didn't want to think about it too much. "The truth, I suppose. Not much else to tell."

Leon nodded as he watched Cloud's taut skin resist under his hands. "How do you think they'll react?"

Cloud opened one eye and stared at the wall ahead. "I'm not sure. I don't think they'll necessarily be happy to see me go, but I don't know how upset they'd be, either."

"You don't think they'd be upset?" Leon asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Maybe." the blond replied, closing his eye again and shifting slightly against the pillow. "It's only been lately, since you came, that we've been closer than usual. It hasn't been that long, though."

"They seem to care about you." Leon commented, eyes still trained on Cloud's warm skin. "It's just that sometimes it seemed like you're pushing them away."

"Pushing them away?" Cloud asked, opening both eyes and glancing back at the brunet. At first it was a question for clarification, but when Cloud saw the dazed expression Leon had as he looked at his body Cloud wondered if Leon was trying to keep talking for another reason.

"Yeah," Leon answered, eyes meeting baby blue and noticing the curiousity hidden behind them. "You don't tell them things and practically order them to back off when they want to help." Leon's eyes narrowed slightly as the blond's eyes dropped to the bed. Cloud propped himself up on his elbows before straightening his neck, looking down at the pillow.

"Why would I want them to get involved?" the blond asked lowly, laying his head back down on the pillow. "They can't really help and I don't…" he paused for a second. Leon's hands continued to stroke his back with warm pressure. "I just – I don't want them to…"

Leon let the blond struggle with his response. After a few seconds of silence Leon sighed. "You don't want them to… ?"

Cloud frowned and closed his eyes. "It's complicated."

"We have time and I'm a quick learner." Leon responded, voice light but his tone suggesting that he wasn't going to let it go.

"It's just…" the blond sighed and hugged the pillow a little tighter. "They won't be able to help. I don't want them to try and fail, maybe even getting hurt in the process. I don't think…" Another pause. "I don't think I'd be able to look at them again without feeling guilty."

Leon's hands paused in their motion before he resumed. "Guilty?" He furrowed his eyebrows even though the blond couldn't see him.

"Like I said; it's complicated." the blond replied, seeming to want to drop the subject. Leon wasn't going to let it go.

"Why would you feel guilty?" Leon asked, not missing the blond's creased brow.

"Because they got hurt trying to help me." Cloud responded as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Leon could tell the blond was beginning to get flustered. He also knew that that was usually a sign that there was something bigger the blond was trying to hide.

"I get that, Cloud. What's the complicated part?" Cloud buried his face in the pillow and took a couple of deep breaths. Little did that do to hide this reaction as Leon felt it under his palms on the blond's back. "Why are you getting upset? What's going on that you're not telling me?"

"Nothing," came Cloud's muffled response from within the pillows. His body began tensing up again.

"No, not nothing." Leon said, stilling his hands on the blond's back. "Look, I'm sorry for prying, Cloud, but you're my boyfriend and it really worries me when you hide from me like this."

"I'm not hiding anything." Cloud responded, his voice implying that he was starting to stress over this conversation; another sign that there was, indeed, something that he was hiding.

Leon sat still for a moment, watching his boyfriend play ostridge in the pillow. He pulled his hands away from the blond's back and dropped them to his side. "You're hiding your face, you liar." he said in attempts to lighten the mood. Cloud didn't react. He stayed perfectly still. Leon sighed deeply before reaching over and turning Cloud onto his back, Cloud playing dead to make it that much more difficult for the brunet to accomplish his task. The blond kept his eyes closed and his lips formed a perfect, distressed frown. "Cloud?" There was something very off with the way Cloud had just closed down. Leon began to wonder if the blond had blacked out again before Cloud let out an almost silent sigh. "What's going on?" Still no response.

Leon's eyes kept steady on the blond's face as he lowered himself and placed a few kisses against the blond's collar bone. "Tell me why everything is so complicated." He placed a couple more kisses against Cloud's neck and settled in beside the blond, resting his chin on the blond's chest.

Cloud's eyes opened and Leon was worried about the lifeless aura they gave off. Bright baby blue were dulled and looked more like the blue reflected off of a body of water; blue yet dreary. Those eyes stared back at Leon with a defeated stare and the brunet wondered what can of worms he had just opened.

"They're going to get hurt." was all the blond said in a tone that could rival Leon's jaded one. "I'm just trying to protect them."

"Protect them from Tony?" Leon asked, relieved that his boyfriend was now talking yet concerned with where this was all headed.

"Not just that…" Cloud said, looking to his right, away from Leon, to nothing in particular on the wall. "Something always happens to me." Another short pause. Leon was about to say something before the blond continued. "I never wanted to get close to anyone. Why bother? I make some friends - I leave those friends. They want to protect me from Tony - they get the shit kicked out of them, or worse, from Tony. It's not fair to them."

"I don't think that they think of it like that, Cloud." Leon tried to reason before getting cut off.

"I shouldn't be forming close relationships with everyone. My life is far too fucked up." the blond continued, his face still turned away from the brunet.

"Cloud, don't say that." Leon replied firmly, forcing Cloud's face back towards him with one hand.

"I could never have a proper relationship with anyone. Not me." Cloud said, his eyes icing over. It seemed as though he didn't even see Leon at the moment. "Relatonships, be it friendships or a lover, they don't work out for me. It's my fault."

"Cloud-" Leon cut in before being cut off himself.

"What is it about me?" the blond asked no on in particular. "Why is it so damn impossible for anyone to love me?"

"Cloud," Leon attempted again before the blond's voice turned almost frantic.

"That's all I've ever asked for in life; for someone to fucking love me and my own fucking mother can't even do that."

"Cloud, please!" Leon said, his voice both firm and unsure.

"And you," Cloud's eyes refocused on Leon's stormy blue-grays. "You don't believe in love." There was a short pause before the blond's eyes deadened. "Leave it to me to stupidly fall in love with someone who is utterly incapable to loving me back. Story of my God damned fucking life." Tears began to trickle down the blond's soft cheeks.

"Enough!" Leon practically hissed, effectively silencing the now trembling blond. "Cloud," Leon attempted again with a far more calm voice. "What's really going on here? Why are you bringing this thing up now after telling me that you're alright with my… that you… you said that you're happy with me even though I don't believe in love."

"I'm such a fuck up…" Cloud said, squeezing his eyes shut before they were hidden behind his hands, rubbing frantically at his closed lids.

Leon propped himself up on his elbows and pulled Cloud's hands away from his eyes. "Look at me, Cloud."

Cloud relaxed his eye lids but still kept his eyes closed. "I'm sorry, Leon." he murmured quietly. His eyes opened to look up at his boyfriend's expressionless features. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't mean what I said."

Leon shushed the still trembling blond as his eyes softened. The way Cloud looked right now caused his heart to thud painfully against his chest. He took a deep breath to ease the tension before brushing his fingers gently across the blond's tear-streaked cheeks. "It's okay, babe. You're under a lot of pressure. Please don't apologize for that."

"I shouldn't have said those things-" Cloud's voice came out in a weary tone full of dread.

"And I said its okay." Leon reaffirmed. He brushed away another tear before pulling his body up against Cloud's. He wrapped his one arm around the boy's still trembling form and the other continued to stroke his soft skin. "You're going through so much right now and it's okay to just spill it out every once and awhile. I won't hold it against you. I will even go as far as encourage it if it makes you feel any better."

Cloud's sad eyes turned and looked into blue-gray. "It makes me feel horrible to say these things about you. I'm really okay with you not believing in love. You believe me, right?"

Leon's eyes narrowed in understanding and he nodded softly to reaffirm it. "I'll believe anything you tell me, Cloud. I trust you."

Cloud's eyes lingered on Leon's for a moment longer before they slowly fluttered shut. "'M so tired…"

"Then sleep, babe. Go to sleep." Leon said softly, his heart pounding in his chest all of a sudden. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Cloud sighed and snuggled closer to Leon. "Can you… can you…" The blond furrowed his eyebrows and let his request remain unfinished.

After a moment of complete silence, Leon figured Cloud had struggled enough. "Can I what, babe? What do you want me to do?"

Cloud shifted a little before turning his head so his face was inches from Leon's. His eyes remained shut. "It feels so good… relaxes me when you touch me." The blond's voice was so low Leon barely heard it. "Can you keep… doing it?"

Leon's eyes searched Cloud's strained features. The blond made no attempts to turn over onto his stomach again and goose bumps were already forming over the smooth skin of his stomach. "Of course…" the brunet said quietly, laying his hand gently over the blond's flat, firm stomach. "Whatever you want."

Cloud let out a soft moan when Leon's hand made its first stroke over his stomach. He knew all too well that his body was covered in goose bumps and he felt his nipples harden immediately from that first touch. He wasn't embarrassed, though. He didn't try to hide the fact that he really enjoyed it when Leon touched him and he even found himself not feeling bad that Leon was willing to serve his every whim. He just felt his body sink deeper into the mattress, the warmth of Leon's palm over his skin creating a hazy atmosphere Cloud was all too willing to submerge himself in to forget about everything that was going on.

Leon watched Cloud's features slacken as the blond hummed quietly. He ran his hand over Cloud's chest and rubbed his shoulders firmly before letting his hand wander aimless across the boy's soft skin. He found that he, as well, was becoming relaxed from the stimulation Cloud was receiving an he laid his head down next to Cloud's, their noses barely touching one another's. He watched as Cloud's eyes fluttered behind their lids and allowed himself a small smile. This is what he wanted. As long as Cloud was contented for the moment, he would allow himself to stop worrying and just enjoy the blond's company.

He wasn't sure if Cloud had dozed off at that point but that didn't matter. He was sure Cloud wouldn't open his eyes any time soon and so his smile remained; happy, contented, relaxed, and so full of this feeling he could not describe.

-o-o-o-

*happy sigh* Apparently I was in a fluffy mood when I wrote the ending to this chapter. Please review? I would love to hear what you thought! XD

XoXo


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: So much to do, so little time! I figured I only have a few moments to be online and it'd be nice to give you guys the next chapter of Salacity. The next chapter is almost done; just have to finish writing the last bit. I'm sorry I can't update sooner than I have, but just know that I'm trying and every spare moment I can write, I write.

That being said, sorry (again) for the delayed update and I hope you enjoy. :o)

-o-o-o-

Cloud stared blankly out of Irvine's car window. The strawberry blond cowboy-wannabe dropped by that morning after receiving a phone call from Zell. After being caught up with everything that was going on concerning Cloud, he offered his services, whatever they may be. He helped Zell cook Cloud and Leon a hearty breakfast that morning even though Cloud protested that he wasn't all that hungry. He ate, though. He ate because he knew that Leon really wanted him to. Half the time was spent raking his food across his plate until Leon helped him finish up by grabbing a bite every so often off the blond's plate. Something so small meant so much to Cloud.

Irvine also took the day off of classes to assist Zell in sorting out Cloud's moving situation. The two college boys promised that by the time Cloud and Leon returned home after school, all of Cloud's belongings would be waiting for him in Leon's room. Zell was quick to correct himself: _their_ room, Leon and Cloud's. The small but meaningful gesture earned Zell a soft smile from Cloud before Irvine said that he would drive them to school.

It never occurred to Cloud what would happen if the Children's Village people deemed it unnecessary to pull Cloud from his mother's care. It never crossed his mind because Cloud knew that they would have all of the information they would need from an hour long, unannounced visit with his mother. All they needed to do was make one simple request when she was intoxicated, like he knew she would be. _Tell me about your son._ They probably wouldn't even need to be there for the full hour. Cloud was sure that they would be packing up his room within minutes with others restraining his enraged mother. Zell and Irvine promised him, as well, that they would make sure that all of his belongings made it safely back to his new home. Temporary home, but his new home nonetheless. Zell didn't include the 'temporary' part, but Cloud knew what he meant. The older blond meant well.

Over breakfast Zell composed a list of things that would not be found in Cloud's bedroom that he wanted to make sure made it safely home. Zell knew that this probably wasn't the thing Cloud wanted to talk about as he pushed his food around on his plate but he said that it was better to get this out of the way so no one would need to go back to retrieve anything they had forgotten. Once again, Cloud knew Zell meant well.

Leon was looking at Cloud a little differently that morning as well. Cloud expected to find pity, sympathy, but found only a dedication to ensure Cloud felt as comfortable as he could be considering the circumstances. For that, Cloud was grateful. He gave Leon's hand a gentle squeeze which was returned almost immediately. Cloud looked away from the scenery outside of the window and turned towards Leon. The brunet's eyes were focused outside of the window on his side of the back seat. Leon seemed stressed, if Cloud had to judge, but it was difficult to tell with him sometimes. Cloud felt bad for causing so much upheaval in the brunet's life but he would never say that to him. Leon would surely argue the point until Cloud admitted that he had nothing to feel bad about.

Cloud sat there looking at his boyfriend in silence for a few moments longer before Leon turned his head towards his the blond. Their eyes locked and Cloud felt his heart quicken pace inside of his chest. Leon's eyes softened slightly and he tilted his head as if asking an unspoken question. Cloud tried to grin, one side of his lips actually twitching, but found that he was definitely not in the grinning mood. Leon picked up on this little gesture and leaned closer to Cloud, letting go of Cloud's hand and wrapped his arm around the blond's shoulders. He pulled him closer and recaptured Cloud's hand with his other.

"How are you feeling?" the brunet asked quietly, eyes not leaving those of the blond.

Cloud was about to answer with an 'I'm fine' but thought against it before the words left his mouth. He attempted at another grin, failed, and took a moment to assess the truth.

"I'm a little nervous."

Irvine glanced back at the couple from his rearview mirror.

Leon leaned over and placed a quick kiss against the blond's lips before resting his forehead against Cloud's. "I think you might find that they're going to be more supportive than you think they might."

Cloud bit his lower lip and stared into Leon's eyes, so close to his own. "Maybe."

Leon tilted his head and kissed Cloud again before sitting straight up in his seat and looking back out the window. "You'll see."

Cloud let his eyes remain on the brunet for a little longer before he recognized that they were moments away from the school. That bit of knowledge made his stomach churn nervously and he couldn't help the involuntary trembled which coursed through his body. Leon must have caught onto it as well as he gently squeezed Cloud's hand. "You'll see, Cloud." he repeated lowly, turning his head to face the blond.

"Where do you want me to drop you kids off?" Irvine asked in a chipper voice as if nothing amiss was going on. The strawberry cowboy glanced back into his rearview mirror with a friendly smile.

"At the curb is fine." Leon answered, eyes meeting Irvine's in the mirror but not replicating the friendly smile. No big surprise.

Irvine pulled the car to the curb and shifted to park. He turned around in his seat and smiled at the two lovebirds in the back seat. "I can pick you up after school, if you want."

Cloud gave him a small, weak smile and looked over at Leon.

"We can walk; it's not far." the brunet answered, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"It's not a problem, Leon. I'm not going to classes today anyhow." Irvine responded, eyes dancing back and forth from Cloud to Leon.

Cloud's attention was drawn to the front of the school. His eyes narrowed before he looked back at Irvine. "Sure, if you're positive it's not a problem…"

Leon looked over at Cloud and nodded. "Yeah, all right."

The attention of all three were drawn to the front passenger side window when a soft knock sounded against the glass. Xander's happy face was in the window and Brantley and Brad stood behind him.

"Hiya!" Xander said with a big smile, leaning in the window when Irvine lowered it. "Look at you two, getting a chaperone to school and all."

"Hey Xander." Cloud said, forcing a smile on his face. It took a lot of effort. He really wasn't in the smiling mood at the moment. "We were running late." he offered up as an explanation as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"_We_ were running late; as in, you two were together and lost track of time?" Brantley said over Xander's shoulder with a playful grin.

Leon rolled his eyes as Irvine spoke up. "Yeah, you should see these two. It took both Zell and I fifteen minutes to separate them and get them out the door!"

"Liar…" Cloud accused, his expression looking surprisingly shocked. The three boys outside of the car laughed, nodding as though they could totally see that being the truth.

Irvine glanced back at Cloud with a wink before looking back at Xander. "So, how you been?"

Xander smiled and shrugged. "Same ol', same ol'. You remember being in high school, ya? It wasn't _too_, too long ago, right?"

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Irvine asked with mock hurt. "I'm still young!"

"Uh huh…" Xander answered noncommittally, looking down at the ground. "Whatever you say."

Irvine was threatening to jump out of the car and prove to Xander that he was still young as Cloud and Leon exited the car, circling around it until they met up with the other boys.

"If you two are done fighting…" Leon said from behind Xander. "I believe classes start within minutes and we still have to pack our bags."

Xander looked back at Leon with a grin before turning back towards Irvine. "See you later?"

"Sure," Irvine answered with a grin before looking back at the other four boys. "Have a good day in school, kiddos."

Xander sighed and stepped back from the car. "Later, old man." Irvine grinned before shifting the car back to drive and drove off.

The five of them began walking towards the school before Eric came running up to them, his friends he was just with watching him with curiousity. "Hey, guys! C'mere for a sec." Leon, Cloud, Brad, Brantley, and Xander changed their course and met up with Eric away from his friends. "Cloud, you okay, bud?" Eric asked, placing his hand on the blond's shoulder with genuine concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Cloud answered, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. He could learn a thing or two from Leon.

"Rumours, man…" Eric said, shaking his head as he raised his hand off of Cloud's shoulder and scratched the back of his head. "Ever since you left school yesterday people have been talking. I thought you might want to know before stepping into that minefield."

"What rumours?" Leon asked, eyes zeroing in on Eric with focused attention.

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, eyes showing more worry than focus. He looked back at Brad, Brantley, and Xander, who were adjusting their posture uncomfortably.

"We didn't want you to worry about the details…" Brantley said lowly, looking incredibly guilty. "We knew you didn't care what people think of you."

"Who?" Cloud asked before being interrupted by Leon.

"What rumours, Eric?"

"People heard about your break down in the principal's office." Eric began to explain, wondering to himself whether he had just gotten the other three boys in trouble for not saying something right away. "They knew you blacked out, somehow, and rumours are flying as to why."

There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke up again. Cloud took this moment to process what he was being told. It was Brad who continued.

"Tony decided to take advantage of this opportunity to inform the school about you and Leon."

_Well, that wasn't so bad…_

"So what?" Leon asked, mimicking Cloud's thoughts. "We don't care if the world knows about us. What else?"

Xander and Brantley looked at each other nervously before looking back at Eric, who was analyzing everyone's reactions.

"You two being together is a _fact_." Eric started. "I said that there are _rumours_ flying around.

"Will you get to those rumours then, please?" Leon asked with a tinge of impatience for all this tiptoeing going on.

"Where to start… ?" Eric begain, once again scratching the back of his head.

"Where to start?!" Cloud asked disbelievingly. "Is it that bad?"

"Depends, I guess, on how you feel about them." Brantley answered for Eric. "There's the one about your estranged father coming to school and threatening you, sending you into a nervous break down in the principal's office."

Cloud would have laughed but by the looks of the other four boys' expressions, things got worse.

"Tony said he saw you and Leon… _doing things_ in the hallway." Eric added, startling the blond enough to wash the colour from his face. "Tony said when you two saw him standing there you asked him to join."

"What the fuck…" Cloud gasped, a more notable reaction than Leon's simple raised eyebrow. "That lying piece of shit!"

Xander turned towards Cloud with sympathetic eyes. "There's the one about Leon threatening you not to tell the principal where your injuries come from; 'obviously'," Xander quoted with his fingers, "the bruises given to you from rough… umm… err…"

"Sex." Brad finished for him. "And of course, Leon sleeping with your mother causing a fight between you two which turned into your blackmailing Leon to let you live with him or you'll turn your mother in."

Cloud's head was reeling. He could not, for the life of him, begin to understand where these stories came from. He, of course, had a pretty good idea but why would Tony spread more than one? It made him nervous how each held a flicker of truth; a parent's threats, Tony catching him and Leon in the hallways, Leon _informing_ him how it was best not to talk to Sephiroth about his personal issues, Cloud living with Leon, but why such outrageous lies?

Cloud looked over at Leon with a stunned expression. Leon looked back at him with a clear disposition. They both tried to get a reading on one another but both of their minds were spinning from this new information.

"I just thought you guys might want to know." Eric said, looking down to the ground. "People might stare and I didn't want you guys wondering why."

Leon looked back at Eric and nodded. "Thanks…"

Eric nodded before giving the small group a glance over. "Can I join you guys for lunch?"

Cloud looked back at Eric, eyes still resembling those of a deer caught in head lights. "Yeah… yeah, of course…"

Eric gave Cloud a small smile. "It'll be okay, Cloud. It'll all blow over."

Cloud's mouth went dry before he nodded slowly, a new thought sparking in his head causing him to freeze.

"You okay, man?" Xander asked, placing a gentle hand on Cloud's arm. "You look pale. Are you feeling all right?"

Cloud blinked a few times before taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm fine."

Leon barely twitched at that overplayed statement, but even if he did Cloud wouldn't have noticed because he was too absorbed in thinking about what this all meant. He couldn't figure out why Tony would start so many rumours. Why not stick with one? Unless, yes, unless he was stirring the pot to cause enough confusion to hide his true motive. That is, assuming that it was Tony who was starting these rumours. Who else would orchestrate such a plan, though? Tony had to be the conductor in this noisy performance. Cloud couldn't think of who else it would be.

_But why?_ he asked himself once again. If he was doing this to hide his true motive then his plan was working. The blond remembered the day before when Tony caught him and Leon in the hallway. The look in his eyes did not say '_I hate you_'; they told a different story. They told a story of hurt, betrayal, jealousy… The only conclusion Cloud could come to was that Tony was trying to destroy him and Leon in hopes of driving a wedge between them. Even if it didn't separate them, maybe just create enough room to wriggle in his plan, whatever that might be.

Cloud shook his head and almost chuckled. _Good luck, you pathetic little bitch…_

"What's going on inside that head of yours?" Eric asked Cloud, eyes showing a blend of curiousity and concern.

Cloud smirked and shook his head again. "They're just rumours, right?"

"Are they?" Brantley asked before getting a smack across the back of the head courtesy of Brad. "What? I'm just asking!"

"Even so," Brad said with a calm, cool voice. "It's none of your business."

Leon took a deep breath and looked at Brantley. "Yes, Brant, they're just rumours, but what concerns me is…" He paused before looking back at Cloud. "Why?"

Cloud nodded and looked back at the ground just as the first bell rang announcing the beginning of classes. "We can talk about it at lunch."

-.-.-.-

Cloud's nerves were fried by the end of first period. He was insanely grateful that Eric had thought to give them the heads-up before stepping into the school because, as predicted, he and Leon received a lot of stares. At first they chose to ignore it before Cloud's learnt instincts began kicking in. He would glance back at the curious observers, who all of a sudden were interested in the injuries he was sporting now that a juicy story went along with it, to detect an emotion within their eyes. Before where there was indifference now swam sympathy, pity, and worry. In a few he noticed excitement and in others he saw reluctance, as if the observer knew they shouldn't be staring but couldn't help but be curious.

The people who looked upon Leon seemed almost disgusted; those being the people who heard the rumour of what Leon 'did' to Cloud, presumably, and others looked proud. It all made Cloud's head spin.

In class, one he had with Brantley and Xander, students tried not to make it obvious that they were secretly watching Cloud as they chatted with their friends. Others were obviously chatting about him and Leon based on their hushed voices and quick glances his way. Brantley and Xander did their best to keep Cloud distracted but it wasn't working too well. He wondered to himself what sort of reaction Leon was getting in his classes.

When class had started, Cloud tried his best to focus, but really, what was the point? He didn't need to know this stuff for the exam he wouldn't be around to take. He knew that his new classes in his new home would probably be different and there was no way they were going to stick him in these classes this far into the semester. He would have to start over with these credits, maybe stay in high school an extra semester to play catch-up. He tried to imagine himself sitting in his new classroom, surrounded by new faces, knowing not one person as everyone stared at the _new kid_. No Brantley to crack the most inappropriate joke at the most inappropriate time, able to lift spirits with one of his famous evil smirks; no Xander to play along playfully at whatever was going on, his genuine concern for him and preciously oblivious personality making him the warm, cushy center of their little group; and no Brad to keep a level head at all times, reining their group like Santa on his sled, directing his reindeer in such a gentle manner it seemed as though they were the ones making the decisions. And no Leon. Leon, the center of his world, the man he loved with every fiber of his being, miles upon miles away with only a phone call to keep them connected for – how long?

_Long._

Cloud sighed to himself and slumped down in his chair. He wondered how the guys were going to take the news of his leaving. He wondered what everyone else was going to think about his leaving the school so soon after the rumours began. Would they think he left because of the rumours or would they think something really went down between him and Leon, forcing him to move away? _They_ didn't matter. His friends did.

He sighed once again before a dark cloud appeared over his head. _This _was why he kept a safe distance from people. _This_ is why he didn't form relationships. _This_ is why nobody should be allowed to get close to him, and he knew it but ignored it anyways. Sure, Leon said this wasn't the end of them, but what would Leon be saying when it actually happened and they went weeks without seeing one another. Yeah, sure, he said they'd see each other every weekend, call each other every day, but what happens when Leon meets someone else, right there next door, maybe, who he can be with whenever he wanted? What would Cloud mean to him then?

Cloud tightened his jaw and sat perfectly still. He took a deep breath as tears formed behind his perfect azure eyes. It's not like Leon loved him, right? Cloud didn't doubt that the brunet cared about him, but that binding emotion wasn't there…

"_It's one thing to like someone, but I don't believe in this thing called 'love'."_ Leon's voice echoed in his mind. "_It's something people work towards and settle with a partner they like who comes closest to the euphoria they're supposed to feel."_

Cloud frowned and felt his lips quiver slightly. His eyes felt as though they were ready to release tears. Leon described 'love' the morning they first told one another how they felt about each other. Leon asked: _"Can you imagine something so consuming that it controls all of your actions? Like, if you're in love you think of nothing else except that other person; your heart throbs for that person and everything else in your entire world drops away when you're with them?"_ then admitted, "_I'll never feel that mythical emotion people are so obsessed with."_

_But why?!_ Cloud screamed in his mind, absentmindedly wiping a tear from his eye. Why couldn't Leon feel what Cloud was feeling? Maybe he could, but just not for Cloud.

Cloud clenched his jaw and took another deep breath before he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Xander, he found out after turning his head just as another tear escaped his glassy eyes.

"Cloud?" Xander said with a soft whisper, his own eyes wide with concern. "What's going on?"

Brantley looked over at the two, turning in his seat before leaning forward. "Cloud, what's up, man?"

Cloud shook his head and straightened up in his seat, facing the teacher with a stony cold glare. He felt more angry than depressed right now and he just needed to wait it out.

He noticed the teacher look in his general direction before he turned to find Brantley and Xander packing their bags. Brantley finished first before he stepped around his desk and packed up Cloud belongings.

"What… are you doing?" Cloud asked in a hushed whisper as though he could somehow further disrupt the class who were watching the two boys readying to leave. His body quaked again before Xander moved to his side.

"C'mon…" he said in a gentle voice, eyes glancing up at the teacher to offer a quick apology.

Cloud brushed back another tear, sitting perfectly still in his seat unsure of what to do.

"What are you guys doing?" the teacher asked, trying to process what was going on, eyes switching from concern from the defeated expression Cloud had on to confusion from the other boy's behaviour.

"We need to be excused from class." Brantley said, pulling Cloud up out of his chair by the arm. "I'm sorry for the disruption."

"Mind explaining yourself?" the teacher asked, trying to look as though she was in control over the situation.

"Not right now." Xander answered, slinging Cloud's bag over his own shoulder before helping Brantley pull Cloud out of his seat. "We'll explain later."

"Guys…" Cloud protested weakly before he was practically being dragged from the room. Something about the whole thing made his grief rise up in his throat tenfold as more tears were released from his eyes.

"Shh, Cloud. One more minute." Xander said soothingly, like a mother would to her weeping child.

The teacher watched, stunned, as Brantley and Xander led an almost sobbing Cloud from the classroom, closing the door silently behind them.

Cloud followed silently, trying to hold off from crying, as the boys led him down a series of hallways before the pit of his stomach dropped from the sound of an all-too familiar voice.

"Going to go give your boyfriends a blow job?"

The three stopped walking, Brantley and Xander turning to look behind at Tony and his friends leaning against the nearby locker bay.

"You've done enough, Tony. Get lost." Brantley said, his voice edging on pure hatred.

"Strife all upset now that the truth is out?" Tony asked with a sickening grin, his smile widening when the blond turned around with tear-streaked cheeks and a defeated expression.

"What truth?" Cloud practically growled, his hopeless expression turning into rage. Brantley and Xander held his arms to keep him from lunging forward.

"The entire school now knows you're a fag." Tony laughed, obviously delighted at his handy work, or what he thought was his handy work.

"So what?" Xander asked in a calm voice, tilting his head innocently. "He's gay. The school knows that and he doesn't care. Now what?"

"He's a fuckin' homo." Tony reiterated, causing a few of his friends to chuckle.

"So what?" Xander repeated. "Now what? It doesn't make the rest of what you said any more true, now does it?"

Tony paused for a second and eyed Cloud's friends. "Does it hurt your feelings that there are stories going around about you?" he asked the blond, mocking a pout. He took a step closer but stopped when Brantley stepped forward towards him. "Are you going to beat me up?" he asked with a chuckle. "This is too amusing."

"Why would we beat you up?" Xander asked. "These stories mean nothing and honestly, you're not worth the effort."

"You got a lip on you." Tony said, raising an eyebrow to Xander. "You protecting him because you love him?"

"I'm protecting him because he's my friend." Xander answered, voice still seemingly objective. "Leon loves him, though, and these stories are doing nothing against that."

Cloud frowned at what Xander had just said but he, as well as Brantley, did not miss the intense look that passed over Tony's face.

"Oh… Gods…" Brantley breathed out, eyes trained on Tony's. "You… you are…"

Xander looked from Brantley to Tony, unaware of the exchange that had just happened. "What's going on?"

"You… you still care about Cloud, don't you?" Brantley said, his voice suggesting that he was still in shock at what he'd just seen.

"Fuck you!" Tony yelled, looking back at his friends with mock disgust. "Maybe I should kick the shit out of you!"

"Lets just go," Cloud said quietly. "It's nothing, come on…"

Brantley looked back at Cloud and shook his head. "You knew about this?"

Xander was still looking at Tony, wondering what the hell the other two saw that gave it away. "You try to beat him up, attack him at school, to hide from your feelings for him?" he asked, authentic confusion dancing on his tone.

"Listen to me," Tony said, voice full of mock rage. He stepped towards the three boys in anger, Brantley and Xander dropping Cloud's arms and stood in front of him as though they were his shield. Tony stopped in his tracks and sighed heavily. "Listen to me… I don't have any feelings other than hatred for this little shit, you understand?"

"Then what's the problem?" Brantley asked. "Why don't you just leave him be? You wanted to tell the school he's gay; mission accomplished. It means nothing. Now what? Why won't you leave him alone if it's not because you don't still have feelings for him?"

"Still?" one of Tony's friends asked, looking at another.

"He's a fag!" Tony shouted, his anger spilling over. "I don't want him near me!"

Xander rolled his shoulders and looked back at Cloud, who looked much like a kicked puppy. "Do you have any interest in having sex with this guy?"

Cloud's expression turned to disgust. "What?!"

Xander turned back to Tony. "He doesn't want you. You don't have to worry about him being near you, okay? Is there any other problem?"

Tony's jaw clenched and he looked as though he was trying to calm himself down. His eyes remained on Cloud, who was still reeling at the question he was just asked. Xander could see it now, the jealously swimming deep in his eyes.

"Is there any other problem?" Brantley asked, taking another step forward, asserting his authority over Tony.

Tony fisted his hands then turned around, his friends watching him closely. He turned back around and looked at Cloud, obviously unsure of what to say next before walking away followed by his goonies.

Brantley and Xander watched him walk away and when they were satisfied that he wasn't coming back stepped down and turned towards the confused blond.

"See, we can fight with words and not get hurt." Xander said with a smile, running a hand through Cloud's silky bangs.

"Although, I would have fought with my fists if need be." Brantley added, looking back at where Tony and his entourage disappeared. "Although, I must say, Xander: Nice work!"

Xander's eyes were still trained on Cloud's delicate features when he smiled at Brantley's comment. "Come on. I can tell that you need to get something off your chest. Lets go talk."

Brantley led Xander and Cloud out of the school to a nearby park. Cloud took in a deep breath when he recognized it as the park he went to with Leon and Eric the night they played pool.

Xander took a seat on the middle swing and motioned for Cloud to sit on the one to his right. Brantley leaned up against the structure supporting the swings and crossed his arms over his chest. Xander began to swing slightly and Cloud remained idle.

"What's going on? What has you so upset?" Brantley asked, crossing one foot over the other.

Cloud stared down at the sand and sighed. How was he supposed to explain himself? What was he supposed to say? Did he want to pour his heart out to them? That thought caused him to shake his head. They were his friends, right? Friends he shouldn't have made, but his friends nonetheless. "Thanks for that… back there… with Tony." he started in a low voice. A swell of appreciation grew in his chest as he looked up to Brantley then to Xander. "I couldn't have handled that one on my own right now."

Brantley smiled and nodded. "We know. And you're welcome; it was a pleasure."

"It's what friends do, right?" Xander asked, swinging his swing gently into Cloud's. "We know you'd do the same for us."

Cloud nodded which was quickly replaced by a frown. He licked his lips and took another deep breath. "This is hard…"

"Talking to us?" Brantley asked. "We're just worried about you because you looked so sad in class, Cloud. If you don't want to talk, we can just sit here with you."

"You just look as though you have so much to say, so much to talk about, but nobody to talk about it with." Xander explained, moving his swing closer to Cloud's. "We thought it might be helpful if you were to run it by us, just in case it makes you feel better."

Cloud nodded and swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat. "I guess… I…" He sighed to himself. This was really hard. "Leon told me when we first got together that he doesn't believe in love." Both Brantley and Xander were silent for a moment, waiting for the blond to continue. "His reasons for not believing in love, although drab, are reasonable, but it just…" He paused once more. "I… he… I fell in love with him; I've told him that I love him and that it's okay that he doesn't feel the same way about me."

Xander smiled and shook his head. "Cloud, that boy is head over heels for you."

"Leon may not _say_ he loves you, but the way he acts towards you shows clear as day that he's absolutely crazy about you." Brantley added with a smile of his own. "Geez, look at the way he reacted when Xander touched you when you came to school with fresh bruises." Both Xander and Cloud looked up at Brantley questioningly. Brantley chuckled and shook his head. "Xander, I'd expect you to miss it, but c'mon Cloud! He practically glared at Xander until he removed his hand."

"He did?" Xander said, bringing his swing back into resting position before his eyes went wide and he covered his mouth. "Ohmigawd, I have to apologize! I didn't mean to make it seem like I was coming onto Cloud! I can't believe I missed that-"

"I can." Brantley interrupted with a chuckle. "Cloud, is that what's really bothering you; Leon not believing in love?"

Cloud went quiet again. "Sort of, but…" He paused. "It's just that… I guess, it's a bad feeling knowing that he will never love me. Or my mother. Or my father. Nobody."

Xander grinned and closed an eye, swinging his swing close to Cloud's again. "I've never known your father and your mother is a real piece of work, but Leon's feelings are there, he just doesn't-"

"But I need it." Cloud interrupted, looking over at Xander. "I can't even remember when, if ever, someone has told me that they… love…"

Xander tilted his head. "I love you, Cloud. You're my friend."

"I love you too, kiddo." Brantley said, ruffling blond spikes.

Cloud lowered his head and sucked in his lower lip. Something about hearing those words entranced him and he couldn't move or say anything at that moment without running the risk of bursting out in tears. He wanted to, but he didn't want to turn this conversation more uncomfortable than it already was.

His chest swam with emotion and he knew it the second he let himself see it; he loved his friends, too. The way they stood up for him, the way they spoke to him, the way the recognized when he needed to talk; the way they openly gave him what he needed at that moment, knowledge that he was loved by _somebody_. As good as it felt, it made him crave it more coming from his boyfriend's lips.

Cloud felt the need to tell them that he loved them too. He struggled to keep his tears at bay before making the attempt. "I-I… I…" A single tear escaped from his eye. "I…"

"We know." Xander said with a smile. He swung his seat next to Cloud's and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You're loved, Cloud. Don't ever think otherwise."

"He may not say it," Brantley started, crouching on the ground and wrapped an arm around Cloud's back. "But Leon feels it too. It's obvious that he does; just don't put too much weight in those three little words and you'll see it for yourself; something even _Xander_ was able to pick up on."

Cloud took a shuddering breath in and looked up at his friends. "I love you guys, too. I'm sorry I've always been so distant. I'm sorry I've been difficult."

"Shh, Cloud. Stop apologizing." Xander said with a smile. "You're not completely at fault here, okay?"

Cloud's worried his lip between his teeth and stared blankly at the ground.

"What's that look for?" Brantley asked, eyes focusing on the dread spread across Cloud's face. "What else is bothering you?"

Xander looked from Brantley to Cloud, trying to pick up on what Brantley was seeing. "Are you all right?" Cloud sniffled and wiped a tear from his eye before blinking rapidly. "You need to talk about something else; what is it?"

Cloud's eyes watched Xander's closely before looking back down to the ground. "I'd rather wait… until… the others…"

Xander nodded and sighed. "We can get them from class, if you want. Or we can spend this time just calming down. It's up to you, Cloud."

Cloud bit his lower lip and nodded. "Lets wait."

Brantley took Cloud's phone and texted Leon to tell him that the three of them were at the park and to collect Brad and Eric when they were off for lunch to join them. No one was surprised to find Leon, Brad, and Eric approaching the park no more than twenty minutes later.

Leon made it to the park first, coming up behind Cloud and wrapping him in his arms. "What's going on, babe? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice suggesting something close to worry. It was pretty impressive coming from Leon. He placed a couple of quick kisses against Cloud's temple before the last one lingered.

Eric squatted in front of Cloud and Brad stood next to Brantley, folding his arms across his chest and watched the blond with concerned eyes. Cloud's eyes scanned the sand by Eric's feet and sniffed. "I just needed to get out of there. I'm all right, but… there's something I need…" He took a deep breath. "I need to tell you guys something."

Leon buried his nose within blond spikes and breathed in his scent. He let his eyes close momentarily in attempts to control his own emotion. It was much harder to do when people were watching, like he knew they were.

At one point or another before the blond continued, each boy looked up at Leon to get a hint as to what was going on. Judging by Leon's closed off disposition they knew it couldn't be good.

Leon, once feeling confident that he had control over himself, stood up and nudged Cloud. Cloud got the hint and stood up, allowing Leon to sit on the swing bringing the blond down onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around Cloud's waist and buried his nose in the crook of Cloud's neck. Cloud tilted his head as if to cuddle with Leon; he desperately needed the contact.

_Now or never…_ Cloud thought to himself. This was so much harder than he'd thought it would be. He never considered the impact his emotions would have over him when all eyes were watching him, patiently waiting for an explanation.

"Principal Sephiroth found out about what my mother… about my home life…" Cloud said softly, feeling Leon's arms tighten slightly around him. "He forced it out of me when he saw my bruises and told me that he's going to send people over to make it official."

"Wait, make what official?" Xander said, eyes glancing to each boy's face to grasp at clues as to what Cloud had meant.

Cloud sighed sadly and licked his lips. "I'm being sent away from my mother." he explained. "I have to leave in a week or two; they're trying to find me a foster home. That's why I tapped out yesterday and why I'm staying with Leon until… then…" His breath hitched in his throat and he was finding it really hard to regulate his breathing again. Leon seemed to have noticed as he unburied his nose from Cloud's neck, unwrapped his arms from his waist, and began rubbing small circles across his back.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, absorbing this new information. It was Brad who spoke up first.

"You said it's not official yet, right?"

Cloud sniffled and looked up at Brad. "No, well… it might be now. Their interview was today."

"I don't know your mother," Eric began. "But is there a chance nothing will result from this?"

Cloud looked over at Eric and slumped against Leon's chest. "No… they probably won't even get through the interview before making their decision. Zell and Irvine are already moving me into Leon's room for the week."

Xander blinked rapidly a few times before he opened his mouth to say something, finding that he had nothing to say. Brantley rubbed the back of his head before shaking it. "How far are they moving you?"

Cloud tried to bury himself deeper within Leon's body, melting into the warmth when Leon wrapped his arms around his body again, capturing his arms beneath his own. "I don't know yet, but the closest I'll be is a forty minute drive out, providing they find a place for me on the edge of the restricted zone."

"Goodness…" Xander breathed. "Cloud, it sucks but it'll be okay." He reached over and took the blond's hand in his own. "I'm sure you will get to see Leon all the time, right?" He seemed to have just noticed that he was holding Cloud's hand in front of Leon and pulled back his hand. Leon looked at him, almost confused, before Brad stole their attention.

"We can still hang out every weekend, ya?"

"I just…" Cloud said, rubbing his eyes, a gesture that was quickly discouraged by Leon's hands pulling his hands down. "I just don't want to be that far away."

"I know, Cloud, but it'll work out." Brantley said with a smile, hoping it would lift Cloud's spirits. "It'll be hard to get used to at first but it'll really give us all something to look forward to for the weekend!"

Cloud looked up at Brantley and nodded before letting his eyes drop to the sand. "I guess…"

"What do you mean, you guess?" Leon asked, placing a couple more small kisses against Cloud's neck. "You won't be excited to see us? To see me?"

"Of course I will!" Cloud said in a hurry, his voice almost too loud for the conversation, as he twisted in Leon's arms to look the brunet in the eyes.

"I was kidding…" Leon said, eyes softening before he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss against the blond's lips. "I keep telling you that everything will be all right, Cloud. It'll just take some getting used to. Our friends seem to think so as well, so you'll just have to trust us, okay?" Cloud's eyes searched Leon's and found nothing but sincerity before Leon concluded. "This isn't the end of us."

-o-o-o-

Fluff, fluff, and more fluff. It was fun to write this chapter and I promise next chapter will have more… intimate moments. *winks* Well, I can't rush them, can I? As I mentioned above, the next chapter is nearly completed; it's just a matter of finding the time when I don't have someone reading over my shoulder.

I hope you liked and if you have a spare moment, please review?

Thanks!


	23. Chapter 22

A/N: Eek! So sorry it took this long to update Salacity! With what I have going on now (and the total lack of privacy to write), it took a lot longer to get this one written. I'm sorry for errors; I've only re-read it once before posting. Let me know if there are any needed changes!

You may have noticed that this chapter is _long_ as well. It's the size of two regular chapters but I really couldn't end it anywhere without losing the feeling I was aiming for. Also, as promised, this chapter is… quite intimate. Quite being used loosely… so heed my warning that this chapter is rated M, not work safe, and contains graph boy love for all you closed-minded "oh my Gods! she said 'cock'" people out there. You don't like yaoi… why the hell are you reading this?! (Hehe… I appreciate all my readers, so please don't take offence. Just skip this chapter if that stuff bothers you.)

Okay, so please enjoy the chapter and I would absolutely **love** to hear what you think. I haven't written lemon in a while. I think I might have gotten a bit rusty…

-O-O-O-

Cloud felt lighter after the talk he had with the boys in the park during school hours. He almost felt happy except for the nagging shadow hanging over his head because he would be soon moved far away from his boyfriend. Although that thought did upset him, he somehow felt like it really was going to be okay.

The boys spent the rest of the morning at the park talking about plans they could make and how they would organize transportation to and from Cloud's new home. Cloud sat silently, not participating in the conversation, but watching the others' eyes light up when someone suggested a good idea for weekend activities. It made him smile softly to himself. Leon had been right: their friends were a lot more supportive than he could have imagined.

Lunch hour was soon coming to a close and the boys thought it best to head back to school to attend their afternoon classes. Leon said he doubted they would be in trouble for skipping their morning classes considering the circumstances; Cloud had yet to speak with the principal but they all knew he would be okay with it.

On their way back their conversation transformed into something more familiar, Brantley and Xander bickering back and forth about Gods knows what and Cloud was happy to see Eric joining into the friendly jesting going on. Leon squeezed Cloud's hand in his own and sighed contentedly.

Cloud smiled to himself and looked over at his boyfriend with adoration. Leon caught this and tilted his head to one side. "What are you thinking about?" he asked in his smooth, velvet voice.

Cloud shook his head before looking back to the ground. "Do you think people are going to think that I'm leaving because of the rumours?"

Leon took a minute to think about this before shaking his head. "Does it matter what people think?"

"No, not really." Cloud answered automatically. "I was just wondering."

"We don't have to worry about what the rest of the school thinks." Leon replied. "But if anyone does ask I'm sure our friends will set them straight. I know I will."

Cloud grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so…"

The rest of the day went on smoothly; students still eyeing Leon and Cloud as though they were some form of foreign species. Cloud still picked up on the sympathy and concern in some student's expressions and others threw glares at Leon but the brunet didn't seem to take notice or care all that much. Cloud wasn't going to let that bother him too much considering how he had limited time to enjoy his life with his friends and boyfriend at his side. He planned on making the most of it.

At the end of the day Cloud and Leon packed up their bags at their lockers with their friends nearby. The news of Cloud's departure didn't seem to be affecting them too much; if anything, they seemed more excited to plan things for them to do together and the road trips they would have to spend time with Cloud. Cloud listened in silence as his weekends slowly filled up with plans and activities. It bothered him that it took him this long to realize how much he appreciated his friends and how much fun he could have with them. He really owed it all to Leon who insisted that he spend more time with them and for that he was eternally grateful. Leon seemed to only be looking out for the blond's best interests and he was so happy to have him in his life.

After his discussion at the park with Brantley and Xander, Cloud felt a little better about Leon's incapability to love. Taking on a burden by oneself always made the issue seem so much more extreme than it really was and bouncing his feelings off of Brantley and Xander really made him realize that those words he desperately needed to hear from Leon weren't as important as the gestures Leon did to show his feelings for the blond. Whether it be wrapping his arms around him, stopping him from taking their passion too far, or planting light kisses on him when he was upset, Leon told him in more than one way how much he cared for him. Cloud felt better, but he wasn't completely sated. Cloud needed Leon, now more than ever, and hearing those words that showed Leon felt just as strongly for him as the blond did for Leon was still important. He chose not to let that dwell on his good mood at the moment.

When the boys left the school they found Zell and Irvine chatting on the grass by the curb where they parked the car. Both boys saw the others coming and smiled happily at the little group approaching.

"How was school, little kiddies?" Zell asked, ruffling Leon's hair affectionately.

Leon snapped his head from Zell's reach and stared at him with expressionless annoyance. You'd have to know Leon to be able to see his displeasure, though.

"It was fine." Xander answered, looking at Irvine with a smile. "We were planning road trips for when Cloud moves away."

Irvine smiled back at Xander. "I suppose you guys will need rides then, ya? Know how you're gonna pull that off?" He looked at each boy with a knowing grin, waiting for the inevitable.

"You, stupid." Xander answered, his smile widening as Irvine rolled his eyes, mumbling something about expecting that answer under his breath.

Zell smiled at Irvine and Xander before looking over at Eric. "Don't believe we've met." He extended his hand. "I'm Zell, Leon and Cloud's roomie."

Eric introduced himself to both Zell and Irvine before Brantley spoke up.

"We should plan a last hoorah for Cloud before he leaves."

"Last hoorah?" Cloud asked, eyes narrowing before looking over to Leon.

"Like a good-bye party without the sappy good-byes." Leon answered for Brantley.

"That's a brilliant idea!" Eric smiled. "And it doesn't even have to be a _last_ hoorah, but a see-you-in-a-week-or-so hoorah!"

"That sounds better." Cloud commented. He moved his body closer to Leon's; the brunet pulling the blond tight up against his body and placing a few kisses against the side of his head. The blond closed his eyes and smiled before continuing. "I don't want to be thinking of anything as 'the last' before I leave."

Zell smiled as he watched Leon and Cloud huddle together as though their lives depended on it. He took a deep breath, thinking to himself for a moment, before glancing to his left to find Irvine and Xander a few feet over, talking in a hushed tone. His smile widened before Brad's voice drew his attention away planning the ins and outs of what was going on. With input from the other boys around at the moment, they concluded that they would have it at Zell, Leon, and Cloud's place and it would be a potluck type of deal concerning food and drinks. Everyone seemed in on the plan except for Irvine and Xander, who were still off to the side chatting away. Brantley, being who he was, couldn't help himself.

"If you two are done planning a romantic rendezvous, we'd love to catch you up on our plans over here!"

Both Irvine and Xander turned to face the group, Irvine smirking while shaking his head and Xander blushing slightly before making his way to his friends' side.

"What's going on, now?" Xander asked, obviously trying to avoid looking over at Irvine again.

"Oh Gaia, did we just witness a love connection?" Brantley asked, nudging Xander on the shoulder with a fist.

"What's going on, now?" Xander repeated, his blush becoming more obvious.

The small group laughed before Eric slung his arm around Xander's shoulder. "We'll fill you in later. Don't worry about it."

The group all said their good-byes before Zell, Irvine, Leon, and Cloud piled into the car, the rest of them offering a wave before they made their way back home. Zell turned on the car before turning towards Irvine with an evil smirk. "Sooo… ?" he said, his eyes narrowing in the process.

"Sooo… ? What?" Irvine replied, paying particular notice on adjusting his seat belt to avoid meeting Zell's eyes.

"Sooo… you and Xander?" Zell asked, looking back to wink at Leon and Cloud before looking back at this cowboy-wannabe friend. "Do I sense romance in the air aside from those two lovebirds back there?" he asked, tilting his head to the back seat.

Cloud grinned and cleared his throat. "You should have seen the flirting when Irvine dropped us off this morning."

"You saw no such thing!" Irvine said with a grin, looking back at Cloud.

"I don't know, Irvy." Zell said, shifting the car into drive. "That looked like you two were exchanging phone numbers back there, ya?"

"Whatever… Just drive." Irvine said with a huff, unable to hide his smile.

When they made it home, Cloud noticed a bunch of boxes leaning against the wall in the hallway. He had forgotten up to that point that Irvine and Zell were getting his things from his mother's house that day. Seeing those folded up boxes, though, made his heart sink and brought everything back to reality. Leon looked at the boxes as well before pulling the blond in for a hug.

"I think we've got everything." Zell said, picking up a piece of paper and scanning the list. "We have everything on the list and everything that was in your bedroom."

Cloud looked over his shoulder at Zell, his body still embraced within Leon's arms. "Thank you. Both of you… thanks…"

Irvine smiled and patted Cloud's head affectionately. "I'm just glad you're settled."

"I hope you don't mind," Zell began, crossing his arms over his chest and smiling at the couple who were still glued together. "But we unpacked for you. A little rearranging of your twos' room, but it all fits."

Leon looked up at Zell and nodded. "Thanks. We really appreciate it."

"No worries, kiddo." Zell smiled before turning towards the living room, Irvine on his tail.

Cloud looked back up at Leon with a soft smile. "I really hope you don't mind me invading your room."

Leon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yeah well, whadda ya gonna do, ya?"

Cloud's jaw dropped before he nudged Leon's shoulder and tried his damnedest to suppress his grin. "So sorry to be such an inconvenience!"

Leon's eyes softened before he grabbed the blond and wrapped his arms around him. "Relax, Blondie. I'm happy you're with me."

Cloud smiled and melted into Leon's warm embrace. "I'm happy I'm with you, too." He breathed in Leon's intoxicating scent and let his eyes flutter shut. Despite everything that was going on, he allowed himself to fully enjoy this moment. He was officially moved in with Leon, regardless of how long he was there for, and Leon, Zell, and Irvine were being so supportive. Even his school friends were proving to be pillars in his life he knew he could lean on. As far as he was concerned, right now he had everything he ever needed or wanted.

Cloud felt Leon's hand run gently over his back and sunk into Leon's body even further. It felt so good to be surrounded by Leon's pleasant scent and loving warmth, feeling the brunet's hand work wonders on the stress he didn't even know he had accumulated in his back muscles. Life was good.

Leon bowed his head and placed a kiss against Cloud's forehead causing the blond's eyes to flicker open with a soft smile on his lips. Leon sighed silently and leaned down to kiss those lips with delicate ardour reserved for lovers. Cloud was mesmerized by the restrained passion behind such a light kiss and soon found his head spinning. Leon finished the kiss, his eyes watching Cloud's closely, before he broke the romantic spell.

"Wanna go check out our room?"

Cloud smiled, his eyes still showing a lazy adoration for the love of his life. "Yeah…" was all he managed to say.

Leon took Cloud's hand in his own and led the blond down the hallways towards their room. He glanced back at Cloud before opening the door, indulging in the half excited-half apprehensive smile on his boyfriend's face before he turned the handle and pushed the door open. He didn't turn his head to look into their room, though. He stood by the open door with his head turned towards the blond and watched as Cloud's eyes danced back and forth before a pleased smile spread across his lips. Leon's heart thudded in his chest. He wasn't sure why.

"How does it look?" Leon asked, eyes still gracing over the blond's happy features as said blond looked up at him.

"It looks like us." Cloud answered, catching the contentment behind stone-cold, jaded eyes. "Are you gonna look? It's not that bad, you know."

Leon's eyes softened before he took a step towards Cloud. "I'll bet it looks great."

"Why aren't you looking, then?" Cloud asked, standing on his tip-toes to level the slight height difference between him and Leon.

Leon huffed and the edge of his lips twitched before he swallowed. "Because you look great."

Blond blushed slightly before looking down at the floor, trying to hide his face. Leon let out a soft huff again and ran his fingers down the side of Cloud's face under his chin, hooking his finger and gently lifting the blond's face up.

"Don't hide like that."

Cloud bit his lower lip in attempts to hide his smile, finding it incredibly hard to look Leon in the eye.

"Don't hide like that, either." Leon said softly. He sighed to alleviate the building foreign pressure in his chest before moving closer to capture soft, pink lips with his own. Cloud responded to the kiss with gentle pressure and let his eyes flutter shut, knowing that his blush was intensifying by the heat he felt on his cheeks. Leon made his body do strange things.

Leon broke the soft kiss first, just needing that intimate contact before exploring their new room; together. He felt the urge to smile but fought it off easy enough before tilting his head. "You going to lead the way?"

Cloud smiled and bit his lower lip again. His insides were dancing with joy and there was nothing that could destroy this breathtaking moment for him; not even the thought of this being strictly temporary. Not even that was great enough to stop his heart from fluttering.

"This way…" the blond practically whispered, taking Leon's hand in his own before taking three steps into the bedroom.

Both boys stood still for a few moments, allowing their eyes to wander over the new layout of their room. _Their room…_ Cloud smiled once more and drank in the sight of his belongings neatly sorted and displayed with Leon's on the brunet's furniture. Zell had left the closet doors open slightly to reveal that Cloud's clothes were hung up on the left side of the closet and Leon's on the right. He could see his toiletries on the counter in the ensuite bathroom neatly arranged next to Leon's. His books were placed in Leon's bookshelf, looking as though they belonged with Leon's collection. Everything was…

"Perfect." Leon said in a low voice. "Everything is perfect."

Cloud looked back at his boyfriend with a smile before releasing his hand, taking another couple of steps into the bedroom. "I feel like I'm intruding." Leon was about to protest before Cloud turned around and lifted his hand, as if to silence him. "I know what you're going to say, and yes, it makes me feel better, but this…" Cloud turned his head and looked back at the bed. _Our bed…_ "This is…" He swallowed the lump in his throat before he felt Leon move behind him, embracing him warmly.

"Perfect." Leon said, placing a delicate kiss against the side of Cloud's head. "You feel like you're intruding and I feel like I finally have you."

Cloud wanted to turn around and hold Leon back but he was too afraid of bawling like a five-year-old. He stood still and swallowed hard again, feeling tears prickle behind his lids. "You had me long before this, Leon."

Leon drew in Cloud's scent and kissed the side of his head again. "Now I know you're safe. Now I can see you whenever I want; wake up beside you, watch you fall asleep murmuring my name in your dreams…"

Cloud turned around and tried to bury his face in a strong chest. "What if I want to watch you fall asleep?"

Leon kissed the top of Cloud's head. "Then you're going to have to try and stay awake longer than me." Cloud looked up at the brunet before leaning up to kiss him. Leon graciously accepted the kiss and ran his hand down the blond's back, taking hold of the hem of the shirt. "I don't think you stand a chance. I can go long bouts without sleep."

"Like a sleep camel?" Cloud asked, closing one eye and tilting his head, expertly pulling off 'cute'.

Leon huffed as the edges of his lips twitched before he pursed his lips and looked behind the blond at the bed. "If that's what you want me to be, then sure."

"My sleep camel." Cloud said with a hint of coo in his tone. "I'm happy."

Leon's eyes dropped back down to crystal blue. Blue-gray searched crystal blue for a moment before they softened; such devotion to his boyfriend that Cloud picked up on it immediately.

"Leon, I…" Cloud started, eyes studying the intensity of the brunet's. "I love you; I want to say it so much – too much, even – but I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Crystal blue flicked from one blue-gray orb to the other then back again. "Does it?"

Leon stared back at his boyfriend and took in a silent breath, making his chest tighten further. He wasn't scared; he wasn't uncomfortable; he was… what? What else causes such strong, chest-pained physical reactions? "Not at all." he answered lowly. "I like hearing it."

Cloud smiled and sighed happily. "Okay… good. I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself from saying it sometimes."

Leon gave Cloud a short nod before his eyes flickered back to the bed.

"What are you thinking?" the blond asked, watching his normally expressionless boyfriend's features swim with something unfamiliar.

Leon shook his head and looked back down at the blond. "Just thinking that it's going to feel good to hold you tonight."

Cloud smiled before his eyes roamed over their bedroom again. His eyes caught on the night stand before he recalled what was hidden inside. He bit his lower lip and contemplated confessing to snooping and reading Leon's journal. His heart skipped a beat at the thought; should he? Could he? He knew Leon wouldn't hate him for it but should he confess to it seeing how they were at a crucial point in their relationship?

No secrets.

"Leon…" Cloud started, eyes still trained on the night stand. "I think I need to tell you something."

"Oh dear, Shiva – you're not actually gay?!" Leon responded, sounded exasperated. "I knew you were too good to be true!"

Cloud jabbed at Leon's chest with a fist and a wide smile. "I'm totally gay. That's not it." Leon's lips did that twitchy thing again as he waited for Cloud to continue. "When we first got together, the night I stayed over…" Cloud's smile widened and he began wondering if this was a mistake. "You were in the shower and I…"

"Snooped?" Leon asked, tilting his head.

Cloud's jaw dropped slightly and he stared at Leon with a mix of startle, nervousness, and disbelief. "You knew?"

Leon huffed and shook his head, pulling the blond in for a tight hug to make it all better. "Not until just now, but I suppose it's not that uncommon for new partners to be curious. I figured you might have."

"I'm so sorry!" Cloud whined. "I couldn't help myself." He looked up at Leon with exaggeratedly sad eyes. "Forgive me?"

Leon leaned down and kissed Cloud lightly on the lips before moving past him. "Don't worry about it." He moved to the night stand and opened the drawer, looking back at Cloud over his shoulder. "I assume you found this, then?" He pulled out his journal before closing the drawer again.

Cloud watched Leon with curious eyes, lips playing on a smile but still showing a nervous twist. "How did you know?"

Leon sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. "There's nothing else in this room that you would feel the need to confess about. I have nothing else to hide." he explained as Cloud made his way to the brunet and gingerly took a seat beside him.

That made Cloud feel bad. Nothing else to _hide…_ Leon kept it hidden for a reason and Cloud had to go and find it. "I'm sorry…"

Leon glanced up at Cloud, absent-mindedly flipping through the pages. "Don't be sorry, babe. It's okay; I don't mind you knowing about this, although it's nothing really special."

"What I saw was." Cloud said, still on the verge of unease. "I only read two, one you wrote and one quote, and they were…" He paused. "You wrote something that I haven't been able to get out of my head."

Leon's eyes scanned Cloud's face before he handed the book over to the blond. "Show me which one."

Cloud took the book cautiously, eyes still fixed on Leon's. "I feel bad…"

Leon's eyes grew gentle before he shook his head, moving to sit closer to the blond. Their arms brushed up against one another's. "Please don't, Cloud. I want to share this with you."

Cloud bit his lower lip before looking down at the book in his hand. He flipped through the pages until he came to the passage Leon wrote about time; the one he couldn't stop thinking about; the one he couldn't stop applying to his own life. "This one." he said lowly, handing the book back to the brunet then wrapped his arms around his own legs. "It fits my life, too. Something you wrote… I just…" he laid his head on his knees. "I can relate."

Leon glanced down at his own writing briefly before looking back at the blond. He didn't need to re-read it to know what Cloud was talking about. He wrote the passage; he knew what it meant. He also knew how Cloud could relate. "Well?"

Cloud's eyes flickered down to the book before they drew up to Leon's eyes again. "Well what?"

Leon's eyes looked dazed as if he were completely lost in Cloud's. "Is _he_ worth it?" he asked, referencing the passage and referring to himself.

Cloud let his legs slowly drop to the floor and leaned in to place a delicate kiss against the brunet's lips. He kept his eyes open. Leon kept his eyes open. Cloud stood up from the bed and walked over to the desk, grabbing a pen before making his way back to the bed. He took the journal from Leon's hands with the brunet watching him curiously.

"May I?" Cloud asked, holding both the pen and journal in front of the brunet.

Leon nodded, eyes still curious as Cloud climbed back onto the bed, stretching out on his stomach with the journal lying in front of him and the pen poised over the next available blank page. Leon watched as Cloud wrote something down in the middle of the page before inspecting it and handing the journal back to Leon.

Leon took the book in his hands, eyes still watching the beautiful blond before they dropped to the page.

"_They that love beyond this world cannot be separated by it" – William Penn._

"The whole poem's little out of context," Cloud admitted shyly. "But this part could work for us." He was blushing again and he knew it all too well. He felt pathetic right now.

Leon's eyes reread the passage before he looked back over to Cloud. "It does work, doesn't it?"

Cloud's shy smile widened as he nodded, moving his body so that he was sitting with his legs tucked under himself. "I'd like to believe that time, distance, and circumstance can't separate us." He bit his lower lip and looked down at the duvet. He couldn't put into words what he was trying to say. He could only hope that Leon understood.

Leon gently closed his journal and placed it on the night stand. He turned his body and moved behind Cloud, placing his arms around his boyfriend. "It might seem like a huge thing right now, Cloud, but your moving away isn't big enough to separate us. I…" He paused and licked his lips nervously. Cloud couldn't see him from his position and Leon allowed a small frown before he took in a deep breath. "I'm really going to miss you but I know that you'll still be mine and that… you'll…" He paused once more and let out a shaking breath. "You'll still love me even though you'll be far away."

Cloud turned his head and captured blue-gray with his own crystal blue. "I _will_ still love you, of course… and…" It was Cloud's turn to pause as his eyes studied intense blue-gray. "Distance, time… nothing will change that." He turned his body within Leon's embrace so he was facing his boyfriend. "_He_ is worth it." Cloud concluded, referencing Leon's passage.

Leon's eyes swirled with an unfamiliar emotion Cloud had only caught a glimpse of in the past. He would die to know what that emotion was and what it meant for Leon, but he wasn't about to ask as something more was happening between them. The couple had their own orbiting gravity between them that drew them together and offered no opportunity to be released by it. They didn't care; they didn't want to be released because what was happening felt too good. At that moment, their world revolved around and only included the other. Leon's eyes melted Cloud and Cloud's words penetrated Leon.

"Cloud…" Leon said, eyes still locked on the blond's. He wasn't too sure what he had meant to say but once the blond's name passed through his lips he was satisfied.

Cloud smiled softly before leaning over and placed a soft, light kiss against Leon's lips; one that lingered and held Leon closer than physical space could allow. Leon's lips responded gently to Cloud's motions and soon the light kiss turned in something much deeper, much more meaningful, something that captivated both boys completely. Nothing could tear them apart at that moment.

Cloud shifted his body so he sat on his legs in front of Leon, reaching his arms out and around Leon's neck, drawing the brunet closer. Leon's arms encircled Cloud's slender frame and he, too, pulled the blond against his body as their lips meshed together in a passion-induced dance. Their tongues began to massage the others' enticing each other's body to tingle and tremble against one another. Neither knew when the moment hit them but each came to a realization that they needed this. They needed to be with one another and needed to show the other how deep these feeling actually ran. A lack of air didn't seem to bother either of them at this point as they drew what they needed from life from the other, hands now roaming the flesh they rested on in restless anticipation.

As if both had the same thought at the same time, Leon's hands supported Cloud as the blond moved his body. They kept their kiss intact as the blond knelt for a moment before moving his body to straddle Leon's. His legs rested at either side of Leon's hips as he lowered himself to rest upon the brunet's lap, Leon's hands guiding him slowly and carefully before both were comfortable with their new position.

Neither could break away from the kiss if they tried; if they wanted to try. Somehow they managed to completely consume one another and both willingly gave into the other's desperate motions. There was no dominance war over sole control over the kiss. They both enjoyed the other's lips on their own, tongue against theirs, and body so close to the others'.

As all good things do, it needed to come to an end. Both reluctantly slackened the kiss until their mouths with mere millimetres apart from the other's, foreheads resting together and arms holding the other as if their lives depended on it. Both eyes remained closed as they both fought to catch their breaths creating a seductive humidity in the space between their lips.

Cloud's head spun yet he felt as though he were in perfect peace. His body was safely in Leon's arms and a calm surrounded the air around them.

"Cloud…" Leon breathed, eyes remaining closed as the blond's name ghosted from his lips.

Cloud understood and chose to remain quiet. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling right now. He knew the basics; love, dedication, contentment, but what his body was physically doing could not be explained by him. He felt as though he should be tense though his body was relaxed and comfortable in Leon's arms. A warm, tingling sensation was present between his legs in a lust-filled manner though lust would be the wrong word to describe how it felt. It felt good, excited, and his erection would support that theory but right now his main objection was love, not lust. His heart pounded in his chest with excitement but he wasn't nervous or expectant on what should be happening next. He just needed to be close. He just needed Leon to be doing exactly what he was doing right now, holding him tight with an idle hand moving slowing across his skin.

"I love you…" Cloud breathed against Leon's lips, placing a quick, wet kiss against the brunet's before returning to his resting state.

Leon's eyes flickered open, his mouth slightly hung ajar with the task of catching his breath again. "I know…" he whispered back, feeling slightly guilty that he had nothing better to offer. His heart tightened in his chest and his head spun with a thousand thoughts, all revolving around the blond in his arms. He could feel tears prickle behind his eyes and closed them to ward off the threat of tears. He had no idea what was happening to him and instead of being afraid, he was excited to find out what it all meant. Why his thoughts were always on Cloud, why his heart skipped several beats when he looked at the blond, and why he found it so relieving to have him in his arms; these were questions he was unable to tackle at the moment. He opened his eyes once more and watched Cloud's contented face absorbing this feeling created by them.

Cloud's eyes opened and met with Leon's, neither being startled at the unexpected eye contact but both losing themselves even more in the atmosphere surrounding them. Cloud's eyes portrayed so much. The blond wore his heart on his sleeve and Leon knew exactly what Cloud was thinking before the blond made his request.

"Leon," Cloud started, swallowing hard before closing his eyes. "Make love to me."

Leon wasn't taken off guard by the request nor was he searching for an appropriate response to such a loaded request. He saw it coming and knew how he was going to respond before the blond even asked.

"If you're sure about this, then yes."

Cloud's eyes opened once more and penetrated into Leon's. Leon searched and there was no reservation. There was no insecurity or need behind crystal blue. Cloud was sure about this and the purpose behind such a request was what it should have been; a request of love. "I'm sure about this." Cloud responded, voice low and lazy.

Leon's eyes watched Cloud's face closely. He knew he wasn't looking for the sign that would tell him that this wasn't the right thing to do at the moment. He knew that reservation didn't exist for Cloud; that the blond was sure he was ready before he even made the request. Instead, Leon watched as Cloud's expression told him one thing: that Cloud was truly in love with him. He watched crystal blue eyes watch his own as devotion and passion danced behind Cloud's colour and the brunet wondered to himself if this would explain the way he, himself, had been feeling lately.

No time to ponder on that as Cloud closed the almost non-existent distance between their lips and kissed Leon once more, throwing every feeling and emotion he had in his body at the brunet. Leon responded with a low moan and tightened his arms around Cloud. The brunet didn't understand what was happening to him but it was becoming incredibly difficult to breath and the only cure was to keep Cloud's mouth on his own. Desperation could be one word to describe what he was beginning to feel but it somehow didn't fit. He was missing the blond immensely and the boy was on his lap, in his arms. He had to make it right.

Leon lifted Cloud up off the bed, the blond's legs clinging to his hips and his arms around the brunet's shoulders, as Leon moved blond further up on the bed in a smooth, fluid motion, laying his head down gently on the soft pillows. Cloud refused to ease his grip, bringing the brunet down lightly on top of him as they continued their all-consuming kiss. It felt better, but still not right for Leon. His heart thudded in his chest painfully and the only way to cure it was to get more of the blond. He needed Cloud right now and he needed Cloud to know it.

He lifted himself up slightly from the blond's grasp keeping his neck bent and their lips attached. He ran a smooth hand along Cloud's soft cheek as his tongue delved deeper into the blond's mouth, earning a soft moan from the boy beneath him. There was still no fight for dominance as the control had already been won. Physically, Cloud surrendered to Leon's position and willingly let himself be taken by the brunet. Emotionally, Cloud was the only one in control. Leon wasn't sure what he was feeling or what it meant; at the moment, it didn't matter. The closer he could be to Cloud, the better it felt.

Without knowing it, Cloud spread his legs further apart to allow Leon to move closer toward him. The brunet picked up on the hint and lowered his hips so they rested against Cloud's, fitting like a puzzle. That one inconspicuous movement caused the blond to moan again deep in his throat as pressure was put on his straining arousal. His body temperature picked up as the feel of Leon's own erection against his registered and he couldn't help but thrust up slowly and gently; only enough to feel the brunet's hardness against himself better.

It was Leon's turn to moan as he pressed into Cloud's thrust just as gently. That one simple motion made him interrupt the kiss with a quick pant as a new atmosphere took over between the two. The want to be with one another was no longer a sufficient explanation; they _needed_ to be with one another and both knew the other felt the same way. So instead of taking it one step at a time and controlling their instincts, each submitted to their need and their pace picked up.

Leon lowered himself against the blond and once again the kiss was deepened to a whole new level, taking the blond's breath away. Cloud struggled to keep the rhythm between them going but the need for air was taking over and before he could stop himself he quickly turned his head to the side and gasped for air.

Leon gazed down at his beautiful blond and watched as his chest heaved to drink up as much oxygen as possible, breathing erratic and doing nothing to calm his primal urge. He watched in fascination and before he knew it the blond captured his lips once more and they fell back into their previous cadence as if there were no interruption at all.

Leon's heart felt as though it was going to explode. The heat between them was building and soon their kiss wasn't enough. Leon wasn't about to push Cloud too quickly and thanked every Summon listening when he felt Cloud's hand idly make its way up his shirt and firmly caress his back. This was what he needed. He needed Cloud to take it to the next step. He didn't doubt Cloud was ready but there was something emotionally satisfying about having the blond make the next move. The throbbing emotion in his heart grew tenfold and he had to take a moment to absorb what was happening.

Leon pulled back from the kiss slightly and rested his forehead against Cloud's, enjoying the feeling of soft, confident strokes against his back muscles as Cloud watched his face slowly.

"Leon…" Cloud whispered, observing a strong, wild storm rage behind blue-gray eyes.

Leon lifted his eyes to meet Cloud's gaze and something in his heart exploded. He felt tears well up in his eyes and fought to keep them back as Cloud tilted his head slightly to get a better look. The blond was perfect; those eyes, those lips, that voice, his touch – there was nothing about Cloud that he didn't cherish.

"You…" Leon started, blinking a few times to rid of the evidence that he was emotional at the moment. "I… you…" He couldn't put what he was feeling into words. They didn't fit and he couldn't explain it. "You mean so much to me…"

Cloud's hazy expression softened and he smiled tenderly at his boyfriend. Without saying a word, Cloud reached up and brought Leon's face back down and placed a gentle kiss against his lips. Leon didn't take control of this one; this kiss was meant to be calm and chaste, something for the two of them to express something different than what was happening between their bodies. Cloud could feel the words behind the kiss as the brunet slowly moved his lips across his own. Leon did love him; the only thing that could make this moment even more perfect would be to hear those words.

Their heartfelt kiss lingered and soon transformed into something reflecting what both boys were experiencing. It didn't take long before the consuming heat returned and once again both boys were trying to convey their feelings through the kiss. The kiss wasn't enough anymore, however.

Cloud allowed his hands to briefly roam once more under Leon's shirt but this time he didn't caress the firm, soft skin beneath. This time he grabbed Leon's shirt and lifted it up until they were forced to break their kiss to allow Leon's shirt to be removed. It didn't even take a second before their lips were reconnected in an intense kiss and Leon made short work of Cloud's shirt soon thereafter.

Shirts aside, Cloud's hands immediately delved lower and took hold of Leon's belt, momentarily startling the brunet causing him to break their kiss and look down into deep blue eyes. Cloud's eyes locked onto Leon's directly and he showed no sign of hesitation as his hands began unbuckling the brunet's belt. Leon watched in fascination as Cloud's hands continued to his pant buttons, his eyes not leaving his own for even a second.

The brunet took a deep breath before lowering himself just enough to massage the blond's neck with his lips, allowing access for Cloud's hands to continue their work. A ripple of pleasure spread throughout his body when the strain in his pants was given relief and he was somewhat surprised when Cloud didn't stop. The blond continued his quest to rid his boyfriend of his pants as the brunet's pants were lowered slightly down his hips, stopping at his thighs as the blond could reach no further. Leon got the idea.

He looped his arms under his half naked boyfriend and lifted him up into a kneeling position so they wouldn't have to part for very long as he knelt his way out of his own pants, one hand wandering lower as it began the same conquest with Cloud's. The brunet supported Cloud, lips roaming over his throat as Cloud knelt out of his pants and both pairs were thrown to the ground.

Leon wrapped his arms around the blond and positioned him back on the bed, Cloud offering little resistance, and once again Leon rested between Cloud's legs. The brunet stayed kneeling, hunched over to keep his needy lips busy with the blond's baby soft skin as his hands began to journey over Cloud's chest and stomach. He didn't miss the goose bumps that formed over pale, taut skin and that served only to excite him further.

He could hear Cloud's breath beside his ear and soon moved down slightly to kiss a line down the blond's chest. Cloud watched as Leon railed light kisses towards his stomach; his heart pounding in his chest as the brunet elicited soft moans and gasps from him.

Leon paused when he reached Cloud's flat stomach and ran his hands firmly up the blond's sides as his tongue circled his navel delicately. Cloud couldn't help the shiver from vibrating through his body and noticed that Leon glanced up at him to ensure the blond was prepared. Cloud gave no indication that he was hesitant so the brunet continued to kiss and nip his way down until he reached the brim of Cloud's boxers.

Cloud's brain was overheating and he was having trouble processing what was going on. How in Gaia did he get so damn lucky? He watched as Leon memorized every sensitive spot on his body and teasingly licked his skin whenever Cloud would moan or gasp causing a more pronounced reaction from the blond. He watched as Leon would glance up at him to make sure Cloud was comfortable with what was going on and surely the only thing the brunet saw was tingling anticipation and readiness in Cloud's eyes because that's all the blond was feeling. We wanted Leon.

He needed Leon to keep going because as far as Cloud was concerned there was no stopping now. Even their previous remedy from the last time they lost control wouldn't be enough for him right now. Leon must have been thinking the same thing because Cloud watched him as his hands moved down his body and lowered his boxers slightly, exposing his hips; the brunet's tongue didn't hesitate to explore the tight skin over bone.

Cloud let out a low groan as his body tingled, causing his eyes to roll back slightly. He could feel his erection throbbing, still hiding behind thin material, and the heat pooled between his legs mixed with the heat from Leon's breath as be breathed over Cloud's midsection. He knew he was breathing heavily himself but all he was focusing on right now was the notion that Leon was making his way into his boxers. He felt the soft fabric move slowly down his thighs and soon he had nothing else to hide behind. That thought startled him at first but what Leon did next made him forget all about his minor insecurity.

Cloud looked down and watched as Leon kissed his hips and completely skipped over the flesh that craved his lips the most and moved on to his thighs. The rippling pleasure caused by such dedicated lips spread throughout his body. He never would have imagined that such a thing could feel so good. His past experiences were all about one thing, one particular body part, but Leon was showing him that there was so much more to sex. Maybe it was because they weren't just having sex; they were making love.

Leon continued to kiss and nip along Cloud's thigh until he reached his knee. The brunet sat up and placed one last kiss on the blond' knee before looking down at the positively dazed expression Cloud was wearing. His eyes lingered, met by Cloud's, before his eyes began to roam over the exposed body lying on the bed before him.

"You're perfect." Leon whispered, watching Cloud's eyes widen slightly before the blond looked to the side, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "You're so beautiful…" The words barely left the brunet's lips.

Cloud turned his head slowly and tried to hide his discomfort of being scrutinized so closely for he first time. He wanted to say something but the lump in his throat prevented it. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to say.

"Are you okay?" Leon asked gently, running his hands up the sides of Cloud's thighs. "You can say stop; I won't be upset or disappointed."

Cloud let himself smile softly and shook his head slowly. "I don't want to stop, Leon." His eyes told Leon that the blond was telling the truth. "I want this for us."

The brunet watched Cloud's face for a moment longer, drinking in the sight of perfection before he rose to his knees, slipping off his boxers so they both were on even ground. "I promise to go slow, then."

Then he saw it, a moment of hesitation in Cloud's eyes that told him that either the blond wasn't so sure anymore or that he had a question that he wasn't sure he could ask. He lightly tossed his boxers aside and settled between Cloud's legs again, resuming the comforting strokes along the blond's thighs.

"Tell me what just passed through your mind."

Cloud's eyes met Leon's and he held the gaze for a few seconds before he allowed himself to study the brunet's body, unhidden by clothes. "I'm happy."

Leon started to shake his head but caught himself before he could go any further. "I'm happy, too." he started, planting a kiss against the blond's knee once more. "But that's not the thought that just ran through your head. Tell me… please…"

Cloud's eyes moved back up and met with Leon's. He would be foolish to think that he could hide anything from his boyfriend. "W-will…" He took a deep breath. "Will it hurt?"

Leon knew the question would be on Cloud's mind and that's why he promised to take it slow. He once pondered the very same question; at least Cloud had someone who cared about him enough to put the blond's needs before his own.

And he wasn't going to lie.

"Yeah, at first." Leon answered carefully, holding Cloud's slightly worried eyes with his own. "It will feel uncomfortable and maybe hurt a bit until your body adjusts to me. That's why I promised to go slow and I will stop if you tell me to."

Cloud blinked a couple of times and swallowed. "Okay…"

The brunet bit his lower lip before taking the blond's legs in his hands. "Cloud… we don't have to-"

"I want to." the blond interrupted. "I want to be with you."

"If it becomes too much-"

"Then I'll say stop." Cloud answered, his voice once again holding sincerity. He no longer looked scared. "Will it… feel good for me, too… after I adjust?"

Leon's eyes softened and his lip twitched slightly. "If I'm doing my job right, then yeah." Cloud gave him a soft smile before the brunet continued. "I'll do my job correctly; I can promise you that, too."

Cloud gave a small nod and willed his legs to stop trembling in Leon's hands. "I believe you."

Leon's expression gave off a slight hint of hesitation as he looked down at his lover. "Don't think you have to do this to please me, okay?"

Cloud looked up at Leon with a half smirk on his face. "Leon, I'm not scared."

"It's okay-" Leon started before being interrupted again.

"I'm not scared, Leon." Cloud's eyes gazed at the brunet with a happy aura. Happy, and almost amused. "I want to be with you. Tonight; I want you tonight."

Leon leaned up and kissed Cloud's lips with reserved passion. He wanted to delve into Cloud's mouth but a part of him was telling him to take it easy to show Cloud that he was serious about going slow. He wanted to rebuild the mood to where it was before he began to prepare his boyfriend for something more.

Cloud seemed to have appreciated this as his tongue teased Leon's into his mouth. He was crazy for Leon's taste and he felt his heart beat quicken in his chest. It wasn't too long before Cloud decided to show Leon that he really wasn't scared; that Leon didn't have to be so easy on him. He let his hands wander over Leon's shoulders and caressed the firm, tanned skin stretched over muscle and bone. He heard and felt Leon's breath hitch from the initial contact and continued to run his hands across the brunet's back.

Leon's kiss deepened slightly with a quiet moan and Cloud knew the brunet was enjoying his touches. The sound of Leon's moan sent shivers through Cloud's body and pooled between his legs were his arousal was still throbbing with anticipation. Cloud flicked his tongue in Leon's mouth just as he pulled the brunet's body down closer to his; close enough so their erections brushed up against once another's' causing both boys to moan.

Without missing a beat, Leon's hips gently thrust up against Cloud's making Cloud break the kiss with a throaty groan. If he thought what they had done before felt good, he was about to find out how good his body could really feel under Leon's control. He couldn't help himself from thrusting gently back up into Leon just as Leon lowered his own hips into Cloud's. It was heaven, it felt so good and it took Cloud a second to realize that Leon had moved back down between his legs.

Leon kissed and nipped at Cloud's stomach again making Cloud's head roll on the pillow. Torture; it felt like torture and Cloud was loving every second of it. It took all of his almost non-existent self control not to thrust up too rapidly; he was sure Leon knew exactly what he was doing to him.

Cloud felt Leon move further down his body and distinctly felt warm breath over his arousal. He fought off a moan and waited for what seemed like an eternity before soft, delicate lips gently kissed the base of his erection. There was no fighting off his next moan as light kisses were placed along his straining body. Each subtle kiss sent a jolt of electric heat through the blond's body and his eyes fluttered shut as his breathing came to a complete stop. He never remembered feeling so good before and he focused on the feeling of each kiss making its way higher on his aching shaft before the brunet took his tip into his mouth.

Cloud let out a long breath he didn't know he was holding before his lungs froze again. Leon slowly, agonizingly slowly, slid his lips down Cloud's arousal applying slight suction as he took him further into his mouth. The blond reflexively tried to inhale but the cascading pleasure tearing through his body prevented him from it. His need for air didn't seem all that important at the moment.

He felt the brunet slide his soft lips back up his length before taking him further inside again. His mouth was so wet and hot; all Cloud could do was focus on what Leon's mouth was doing to his body. It wasn't until he felt cool air on his otherwise over-heated flesh when he chanced opening his eyes and looked down at blue-gray eyes watching him; the brunet's mouth open slightly in a gentle pant.

"Breathe…" was the only low, velvet word to come from the brunet's lips.

Cloud swallowed hard before realizing that his lungs were aching for oxygen. He wasn't sure how long he was holding his breath. He didn't realize he was holding it in the first place. He took in a shaky quick breath and trembled as he released it. Leon watched the blond take a couple more quivering breaths before he bowed his head and licked at the tip of Cloud's erection again.

Cloud threw his head back on the pillow and moaned deep in his throat as a new wave of ecstasy crashed over his body. He didn't want to know how Leon became the God of blow jobs; he was just delighted that the brunet belonged to him now.

Leon kept the pace slow despite the occasional low whine from the blond and frequent groans coming from above. He needed to make sure that Cloud thoroughly enjoyed himself. A part of him was particularly proud that Cloud was so sure that he wanted his first time to be with him. He was all too willing to be his first; he adored Cloud and wanted them to cherish this night every time they thought back on it.

Leon marvelled at the heat coming from Cloud's body. The blond was ready for this, he was sure of it, and Cloud's scent was driving him absolutely wild. It was taking a fair amount of self-restraint not to rush this for them but he knew it would pay off in the end. He loved the way Cloud's length glided in and out of his mouth and he sought after that faint musky taste that would be released when he felt Cloud's cock pulse against his tongue. He loved the noises Cloud was making and experimented with his tongue to find the blond's particularly sensitive areas, making sure to lick them tenderly as his lips slid over the blond's flesh. He was getting so much into pleasuring his boyfriend that he almost failed to notice when Cloud's erection began throbbing strongly and swelled even further in his mouth. If Cloud hadn't vocalized as loud as he did Leon probably would have let the blond climax at that moment.

But Cloud started panting and saying his name in an above-normal volume and grunted as he thrust his hips up against Leon's mouth. Leon knew he probably brought Cloud too close and it was a real shame to have to stop what he was doing at the moment. The noises Cloud made were as good as a touch to his untouched, weeping erection and it was with great reluctance that the brunet grasped the base of Cloud's cock with his hand before deliberately applying ample pressure on his way to the tip, giving the head one last swipe with his tongue earning him a keening whine from the blond.

Cloud kept his head back and was now panting for air desperately. His chest rose and fell fiercely and his hands were clutched into fists on the duvet beneath them. The sight of the beyond-aroused blond was doing nothing to settle Leon down but he let Cloud calm down a bit before moving his body on top of the blond's and captured the still panting lips with his own.

Cloud kissed back intensely and wrapped his arms around Leon's neck, pulling the brunet's body closer still as the blond's tongue delved into Leon's mouth. Leon kissed back with as much passion and rested his body against Cloud's. Both boys moaned into each other's mouths as their excited flesh met and almost instantly began rubbing up against one another.

Cloud broke the kiss first and panted heavily as Leon's arousal moved along his. His legs were spread apart and he knew what was coming next. He was ready for it; he wanted Leon to take him.

"L-Leon…" Cloud breathed, eyes fluttered open to meet stormy blue-gray. "I want you…"

Leon dipped his head and placed a wet kiss against Cloud's lips before lifting his head again. "I want you…" he said back, eyes crazy with desire.

"Have me." Cloud responded. "Please…"

Leon lowered his head again and tongued Cloud's lips. Cloud tried to meet his sloppy kiss but caught on to the idea when Leon's fingers began to stroke his cheek. The bond turned his head and took two digits into his mouth, the brunet's lips still kissing and licking the corner of his own. He began by sucking on Leon's fingers and shivered as Leon trembled with a low groan. Leon moved his fingers within Cloud's mouth and slid them in and out, mocking what he was preparing to do. Cloud's tongue teased the brunet's smooth fingers and he bobbed his head slightly as though he had another part of Leon in his mouth.

Leon seemed to really be enjoying this as his eyes watched the blond's lips intensely. His cock pulsed with every inward slide of his fingers as though _it_ was receiving Cloud's precious attention. He couldn't take much more of this.

The brunet slowly slid his fingers out of the blond's mouth, Cloud licking them as they pulled out completely before his eyes refocused on Leon's. Leon's eyes didn't leave Cloud's as his hand slowly made its way between Cloud's legs and sought the blond's entrance.

One gentle touch was all it took for Cloud to begin trembling with a throaty moan, fighting to keep his legs apart. The brunet paused for a moment before he lightly stroked Cloud's opening again and watched as the blond's eyes fluttered shut. He applied a little more pressure before slowly inserting a single digit into the tight, hot blond.

Cloud responded with a moan and couldn't help but to stiffen up as a foreign feeling prevailed. Leon paused and tenderly kissed the blond's neck before moving his finger within the blond again.

"Relax, Cloud." the brunet whispered. "It will be much easier if you can try and relax."

Cloud took a deep breath and opened his crystal blue eyes. He watched Leon's face and was struck with how beautiful the brunet looked right now. Blue-gray never looked so contented before and his lips hung open slightly with an unusual mixture of nonchalance and something else playing on his features. Leon was his.

Leon stroked Cloud for a moment longer before pulling out, one immediately being replaced by two. Cloud took in a deep breath and held it for a second before the brunet lowly murmured 'breathe' as his body adjusted to two fingers. The brunet delicately continued to stroke Cloud and the blond attempted to regulate his breathing as instructed by his lover. He felt like something in his life was finally right and although he was feeling mild pain, the pleasure of just knowing that they were going to be together was enough to let him relax into the soft mattress.

Leon continued to move his fingers slowly and Cloud wondered for a moment why the brunet was wandering extra slow until it struck him. Literally - Leon struck something within him that shot a pang of pure ecstasy through his body. He was unable to stop himself from crying out as Leon hit that spot inside of him again. The blond' body shuddered violently and he found himself pushing down on Leon's fingers as if to encourage another… whatever that was.

The corner of Leon's lips twitched as he stilled his fingers and watched the blond come to terms with the pleasure his body was feeling. He knew that it would be so much better for the blond if he could just find that one spot inside Cloud that would guarantee the blond's gratification and he was slightly proud of himself for being able to find it so easily. Maybe they were meant for each other.

Leon's lips twitched again as that thought ran through his head. It sounded so right to him and made his heart pound harder than it was already. He wanted Cloud in more than one way and by the way Cloud had just started looking at him, Cloud wanted him to do _that_ again.

He allowed his lips to twitch once more before he began to move his fingers again, deliberately missing Cloud's special spot to create an eager anticipation within the blond. It worked. Cloud began moving his body into Leon's fingers trying to force the brunet to touch that spot he knew would make him see stars. Leon managed to resist, however, and withdrew his fingers only to slowly replace them with three.

Cloud held his breath as he felt himself being stretched. The pain overrode the pleasure at this point and he willed himself to relax. He spread his trembling legs further and took a deep breath. He could feel tears build up behind his eyes but fought to discourage their release. He trusted Leon and if this pain was what it took for them to be together then he'd endure it. Leon said it would feel better; the blond would just have to trust him.

Cloud took another deep breath and closed his eyes. If this was what three fingers felt like he wondered how Leon's impressive hard-on would feel like inside him. He dismissed that thought and focused once again on his breathing.

"Cloud?" Leon's voice barely made it to the blond's ears. "Are you okay?"

Cloud sniffled and nodded his head. He tried to open his eyes but kept them closed in lieu of concentrating on keeping his body relaxed.

"I'll make it better." Leon said next before bowing his head and taking the blond's arousal in mouth.

Cloud's breath hitched as a jolt of pleasure sparked through his body. He allowed his eyes to open and looked down at the brunet slowly bobbing his head to the motion of pushing his fingers in and out of his body. Cloud's mouth hung open as wave after wave of excitement coursed through his groin and before he was able to whimper Leon's name, said brunet softly stroked that spot inside him again.

Cloud threw his head back with a loud cry and began impaling himself down onto Leon's fingers. The combination of what Leon's fingers and mouth were doing was enough to drive him wild and he once again lost himself in the ecstasy of their foreplay.

He didn't feel the stretch of pressure of Leon's preparation anymore. All he felt was a shock of pleasure inside him with a building excitement making his cock pulse within Leon's mouth. He realized he was probably making more noise than he should be. He couldn't help it.

Leon didn't mind the noise. Cloud's vocalizations were making his own cock pulse with anticipation and he wanted so badly to share the pleasure with the blond, but he knew what inadequate preparation felt like and he would, under no circumstances, subject Cloud to that. The blond's noises, however, told him that he was probably as ready as he'd ever be so he removed his fingers, keeping Cloud's arousal in his mouth.

Cloud began to pant heavily and squirm under him, a small whine breaking up his erratic breathing pattern. He kissed the tip of Cloud's now weeping erection and looked up to very heated and aroused eyes. He now knew Cloud was more than ready.

Leon lifted his body and moved it over Cloud's, their eyes locked the entire time. He hovered for a second but lost all train of thought as Cloud all but lunged up and captured his lips with his own. The two lost themselves in a wet, humid kiss and Leon almost missed Cloud positioning himself so that his legs were on either side of Leon's hips and the blond shifted his hips to allow better access to his body.

Leon had to break the kiss and pant to catch his own breath. Cloud was showing no signs of having second thoughts or being scared of what was about to happen. He ordered himself in his mind that he would stop if Cloud told him to and there was no way he was going back on that.

"Leon…" Cloud panted, eyes still intensely staring up at the brunet. "I'm ready."

Leon gazed back at his blond lover, heart throbbing in his chest. There was something so innocent yet demanding about the words Cloud had just spoken and he felt the urge to shed a tear. His chest was tight with anticipation and adoration and he wondered for a brief moment if this was what love felt like. Could it be… could he…?

"Leon." Cloud said again, eyes twinkling with emotion.

Leon dipped down and placed a slow, deep kiss against Cloud's lips as he lowered his body. He felt Cloud's arms wrap around him and for some reason it made his heart sing. Never mind the position they were in; Leon's body was reacting from just being this close to the blond.

"I'm ready…" Cloud whispered, as he moved his lips to the brunet's earlobe. He tongued Leon's ear and massaged his neck before tensing when he felt Leon line up with his opening. He refocused and relaxed his body, distracting himself with licking and nipping the brunet's neck.

At first it was just uncomfortable but as Leon slowly pushed past the initial resistance, shocks of pain shot through Cloud's body. He whimpered softly and trembled under Leon's body. Leon looked past his own intense pleasure and stilled immediately to give Cloud a chance to get used to him being inside of him. Cloud bit his lower lip and closed his eyes tightly, not able to hide a tear before it slipped past his eyelid.

The brunet watched the single tear trickle down Cloud's cheek before he leaned down and kissed it away. He knew what Cloud was feeling and a part of him felt horrible for inflicting this pain upon him. Cloud responded to the kiss, though, and turned his head to hide in the crook of Leon's neck. He tried to bury his face and tightened his arms around the brunet's body.

Leon placed delicate kisses along Cloud's shoulder and held perfectly still. "I'm not going to move until you tell me to. I'll stop right now if you tell me to… Cloud…"

"S'okay…" Cloud whispered. He took a shaky breath in and unburied his face. "I'm okay…"

Leon licked his own lips before readjusting his posture to support his weight with one arm. His other hand snaked its way between their bodies and wrapped itself around Cloud's stiff erection and began to stroke it with a firm tenderness. He was rewarded with a hitched breath from the blond as Cloud's mouth fell open and all signs of pain disappeared from his beautiful features.

Leon remained perfectly still but the feeling of his own arousal pulsing within the blond was as good as anything. It took all of his self control to keep himself still and not push into the blond further. Even when Cloud began moving his hips to thrust into Leon's hand Leon kept his own very still. Cloud was essentially moving him in a rocking motion into the blond but that was the blond's doing, not his. He enjoyed every stroke.

"Oh Gods…" Cloud moaned, eyes scrunched and a look of pure pleasure across his face. "Leon… please…"

Leon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Cloud's motions were creating the effect of mini thrusts and his aching cock was moving inside of the blond. The pleasure was almost blinding but he still remained still.

"Leon… Mmm…" Cloud whined, his panting breaths becoming more desperate.

"Said I wouldn't move…" Leon responded in a husky voice, arm almost trembling to keep him somewhat elevated over the blond. "Not going to move until you tell me…"

"Move." Cloud demanded, voice almost suggesting disbelief. "Leon, please move. I want to feel you… inside…" To be completely honest, he didn't remember Leon telling him that he was going to wait for the blond's go-ahead. "Make love to me."

It took all of Leon's strength not to slam into the blond at that moment. Instead, he continued his slow, easy insertion until his was completely sheathed in Cloud. Cloud took deep breaths but seemed far too distracted by what Leon's other hand was doing to his cock to take notice that his insides were being stretched once again.

Much to Leon's relief, the blond didn't seem to be in as much pain as he thought he would be. Cloud seemed to be enjoying Leon's stroking distraction and for that the brunet was grateful. Pleasure was coursing through his entire body but he was more concerned about how Cloud was feeling. With that thought, Leon slowly pulled himself back out before gently pushing back into Cloud's hot body. He began making love to his boyfriend.

Cloud moaned when Leon pushed back into him but nothing in his tone suggested that he was in pain. The blond was still moving his own body into Leon's hand, each tremor of pleasure increasing the pressure around Leon's arousal. The brunet felt overheated all of a sudden and decided to attempt to pick up the speed, but only a little.

If Cloud noticed the small change in pace, he didn't react to it. He was far too into Leon's distraction to notice details like that but when Leon felt the blond tighten almost painfully around his own cock he stilled his hand and allowed Cloud to calm down.

Cloud took in several deep breaths and opened his eyes to look into Leon's. Leon didn't miss the ecstasy behind crystal blue and Cloud smiled lightly causing the brunet's own lips to twitch. Leon's hand withdrew from Cloud's body and helped support his weight. The loss of distraction didn't seem to bother Cloud.

The blond exhaled softly and his smile widened. He took a couple of panted breaths. "It feels good…" he said between pants.

Leon lowered his head and placed a wet kiss on Cloud's lips before pulling up to gaze longingly into the blond's eyes. "It feels amazing."

Cloud's soft smile widened even further before he took the brunet's face between his hands and drew Leon's face towards his, kissing him deeply when their lips made contact.

Leon kept the pace gentle and languid as the two boys enjoyed the feeling of their bodies fusing together. Their kiss endured and for the longest time they remained unrushed, taking in every second and memorizing every detail to reflect upon in the future. Their bodies sang from the physical pleasure but both felt that something else, something emotional, made the whole experience so much more meaningful.

After a while Cloud's low moans became whimpers and that set something off in the brunet. He couldn't help himself from snapping his hips just a little harder into the blond and the grunt he received in response set his body on fire. He knew the signs; Leon wasn't going to last a whole lot longer.

With that in mind, Leon reached down and adjusted Cloud's hips, effectively causing the blond's back to arch slightly. He pulled out of the blond until it was just the tip of his throbbing arousal holding him in before pushing back into Cloud in a firm, fluid thrust. Cloud panted at the change in pressure but upon Leon's fourth thrust he understood all too well. He understood with a startled, pleasure-filled scream as Leon's cock hit that sensitive spot inside him. He cried out again as the brunet's erection slid inside of him before he fell completely silent from the overwhelming sensation Leon was causing. His mind went blank and all he could register was the blinding pleasure cascading through his body.

With every stroke, the tip of Leon's cock caressed Cloud's insides with purpose and it wasn't long before Cloud's muscles began clamping down around his body. He was proud and slightly smug that he could render the blond speechless during their first time and he took great pleasure in watching Cloud's normally delicate features contort from the attention his body was receiving. He wanted to see those features change as Cloud came and made special note to assess his own climax just in case he lost control. Cloud had to be first; that detail was very important to him. He was drawn out of his own thought by the sound of the blond's voice.

"Leon…" Cloud panted, sounding very much aroused and out of breath. "Oh Gods… Leon, please… So good…"

"Does it feel good?" Leon asked unnecessarily. He really just wanted to hear the blond speak some more.

"Yes-s-s…" the blond hissed. His chest rose and fell from his deep breathing and his body began to squirm beneath the brunet. "I'ma… I'ma… Ughn…"

"You're what?" Leon asked, a hint of controlled aggression in his voice. To be honest with himself, he loved that Cloud was vocalizing. It was bringing him closer a lot faster.

Cloud let out a long moan as his eyes fluttered shut. He was moving his body against Leon's thrusts now and let out a jagged gasp every now and again. "I'm close…" he managed between breaths before crying out sharply and clutching onto Leon's back.

"Tell me how close." Leon demanded. He really didn't think he was going to last too much longer but he couldn't help himself making Cloud speak. The blond's words were as good as a touch.

"C-close…" Cloud let out a deep breath that breath hitched in his throat. "Gods, Leon… I love you… I love you so much."

Leon gasped as building pleasure rose in his body. He was on his way up, he knew it, and he refused to give in to it until-

"Leon!" Cloud shouted, fingers digging into soft, taut skin. "Leon, please!"

Leon securely wrapped his arms around the blond's body and held him tight as he thrust into him with vicious vigour. "Come on, Cloud. Please… I need you to."

Cloud attempted to say Leon's name once more before it was interrupted by a loud cry. Cloud couldn't help himself but be loud as his orgasm hit and blinded him with white light. His body convulsed as Leon's cock continued to hit that spot inside his body and within seconds he felt his own cock explode. He felt warmth cover his stomach, slicking the motion between his and Leon's bodies. He continued to shake as electric heat shot through him. He had never felt anything like it.

Leon's breathing was erratic as he thrust a couple more times into the blond before he, himself, lost himself in the pleasure. He barely held on as Cloud came, spilling his seed over their bodies, watching a look of almost agonizing pleasure consume the blond. His own orgasm hit violently and shook him to the very core. He continued short, firm thrusts into the blond as Cloud's internal muscles milked him for everything he was worth. He grunted before Cloud's name slipped past his lips involuntarily as he emptied himself into the blond. He, too, had never felt anything like it.

It took several minutes of laboured breathing before the two could bring themselves to move again. Without realizing it, Leon had let himself collapse on top of the blond and Cloud's arms circled around him possessively as they fought of regain control over their bodies. After feeling confident he wasn't going to pass out from the intense pleasure he felt, Leon lifted himself up off of Cloud and placed a soft kiss against his forehead.

Cloud's eyes fluttered open, once again holding such an innocent twinkle, as a smile spread across his lips. "You're incredible…" he barely managed to whisper.

"We're incredible." Leon corrected, leaning down to kiss Cloud's lips this time.

Cloud kissed back gently but couldn't sustain the kiss too long without gasping for air again. "My body is still tingling."

Leon's eyes searched Cloud's before the tip of his lip twitched. "I like how vocal you are."

Cloud chuckled and scrunched his nose at the sensation of Leon still inside of him. "I hope I didn't make too much noise."

Leon did remove his body from Cloud. "You made _lots_ of noise." he teased.

Cloud chuckled again and attempted to hide his face within the brunet's neck. "Oh Gods…"

"I said I like that." Leon huffed, snuggling closer to the blond. "I like that I can make you feel that good."

Cloud looked up at Leon with an almost embarrassed look across his face. "You made me feel great. Leon, that was amazing…"

Leon rested his forehead against Cloud's and rubbed his nose against the blond's. "You'd say we're pretty good together, then?"

Cloud grinned and rolled his eyes as if deep in thought. "I suppose we're all right."

"All right?" Leon asked with raised eyebrows.

Cloud kissed Leon, his smile lighting up the now dark room. "Decent?"

"Decent…" Leon repeated, playful disbelief playing on his tone.

"I said amazing already, love." Cloud giggled. "Astounding, astonishing, incredible… Fuck, I never felt that good before in my life." He was being completely honest.

Leon almost grinned but still managed to hold it back. Hiding his expressions was getting harder and harder around the blond. "I'm going to adore watching you fall asleep tonight."

"_I'm_ going to love watching _you_ sleep tonight." Cloud reiterated, a contented smile gracing his features.

"Think you can stay up longer than me?" Leon asked, watching the blond's eyes watch his.

"Mmm-hmm."

But it was only fifteen or twenty minutes later before Leon allowed a soft smile to form on his lips. The silently slumbering blond in his arms murmured Leon's name as Cloud drifted off into dream land. Leon's heart throbbed in his chest knowing that he was the last thing on Cloud's mind before he fell asleep.

-O-O-O-

:o Yay, boy lovin' smex!

Still with me? Please review! I could totally use the feedback right now! (Positive or negative; I just wanna hear from ya.) XD


	24. Interlude: Leon's Turmoil

A/N: Hey guys! Wow, I'm so sorry about taking this long to update, but I'm trying to figure something out that will help with the writing time. It might not happen right away but I'm working towards it. That being said, here's another chapter! It's actually an interlude but a few important things spring from this chapter. I can't tell you what, but you'll find out (when I manage to write the rest of the fic, that is). :S

I started this chapter almost a month ago, so I'm sorry if it doesn't flow or sounds awkward. It's difficult to get back into the groove after such a long period of time, but I hope you enjoy it, nontheless. For those who left reviews for the last chapter, thank you so much. I get my reviews on my Blackberry and they make fantastic on-the-way-to-work reading!

Enough rambling, I'll let you get on with the chapter. I hope you enjoy and, as always, I'd love to hear from you!

-o-o-o-

The sun was bright, almost too bright, but not quite. Just bright enough to reflect the deep green colour from the grass to form a hazy tranquility to this perfect atmosphere. In the distance, Leon could hear the water rush up and withdrawal from the nearby beach and the scent of the ocean radiated confidence and a joyous glow within his heart. He felt like he should be squinting in the serene glow of this perfect day but the need to never occurred. Everything was perfect.

He looked around momentarily to take another look around himself at his beautiful surroundings, but mainly to see whether he was alone. The field nearby was empty and other than the sound of birds chirping happily, Leon didn't see another living thing in sight. He let his eyes roam over the vast space once more, to be sure, before letting himself smile. His entire body relaxed as a happy, beautiful smile graced his features. He sighed before starting towards the sound of the ocean. All his concerns and worries melted from his body as he strode leisurely against the wind, his hair blowing gracefully within the gusts of air. He felt so light. Everything in his universe was as it should be, but he couldn't help looking around for something. For what, he wasn't sure, but he found himself glancing around before he could suppress the urge to do so. It didn't bother him and before he could contemplate as to its purpose he forgot again and continued his journey to the ocean.

With every step he felt lighter and lighter, as though he was accomplishing something he couldn't identify. He knew he should be at the beach but wasn't sure why. Something was drawing him there through an invisible force that he could not fight; couldn't fight if he wanted to. He didn't want to. There was something pleasant and attractive about this force and Leon willingly let himself be moved by it.

The sound of chirping birds was soon replaced by the distant echo of sea birds, squawking far away, but close enough to tell him they were there. The whispers of the wind was replaced by the low roar of the water swallowing meters of the sand before retracting back into the body of water. The wind was a little louder this close to the beach and he distinctly felt sand beneath his feet before looking down. He hadn't realized that he was bare foot until the silky sand cushioned his feet, giving off its delicate heat. Leon looked out into the water and felt his smile widen at the sight of the crystal blue water beneath blue-gray skies.

Something was acutely attractive about the way the colours played on one another. Did the water reflect its blue to the sky or was it the other way around? He couldn't remember and didn't care. The water swayed to the motion the wind provided from the sky, never coming to a rest. His smile slackened but not due to fading happiness. His heart was singing but for what he could not place. His smile disappeared because he was so overcome by the beauty of the beach and the colours of the sky and water. The water, it reminded him of Cloud.

The water was the exact same colour as Cloud's eyes. His whole world had been shaken up and the boy struggled to settle but there was always a force to keep his life in turmoil. Leon watched the water to determine whether it was happy. It made sense to him at the time. He licked his lips and watched the water slowly rock up onto the beach before retracting again. The water rippled before reaching up on the beach again and Leon felt a surge of happiness as it pulled back into the ocean again. The water was happy and that made him happy.

"When I get pulled back, the sky will send the wind to help me move forward again." a low voice said by his left ear, sending shivers down Leon's spine.

Leon's smile returned as he tilted his head towards the source of the voice. Cloud's scent surrounded him, being carried by the wind, and made his heart throb.

"That's very nice of the sky." Leon murmured, letting his eyes close softly to focus on Cloud's presence behind him.

The brunet felt Cloud's chin rest on his shoulder as the blond leaned his head against Leon's. "Look at the sky." the blond whispered, his sweet breath ghosting against Leon's left cheek.

Leon opened his eyes and straightened his head to look up at the blue-gray sky. The blue beautifully contrasted against the mute gray colour. In any other setting it would have looked sad and for a moment Leon frowned.

"Is the sky happy?" Cloud asked quietly.

Leon's frown turned into a contented smile. His heart exploded with happiness when he wondered about the sky and that seemed to be his answer. He gave a short nod. "It seems very happy."

"Look at the colour." Cloud requested next, nuzzling closer against the brunet's neck. "What does it remind you of?"

Leon examined the sky and sighed blissfully. He wasn't sure why Cloud was asking him these questions. He didn't have time to think about it before Cloud moved from behind him to stand directly in front of him. "The colour of the skies is the same colour as your eyes." The blond gave a half grin at his little rhyme before it struck Leon.

"And the colour of the water is…"

Cloud smiled as Leon paused, his eyes twinkling the same way the water was twinkling from light of the sky above.

Leon couldn't tear his eyes from Cloud's. His heart pounded in his chest and he was completely intoxicated from the blond's scent in the wind. "They're beautiful together, the sky and the water."

Cloud nodded, his eyes locked on Leon's with so much passion. "The sky helps the water move forward. It keeps the water happy."

Leon's heart leap painfully in his chest and he felt an intense urge to cry. He wasn't sad; he was so damn happy like the sky. He just felt so much for the blond and he didn't know how to begin understanding it.

"Leon," Cloud started, tears apparent behind the crystal blue of his eyes. "I'm so much in love with you."

Leon's lower lip quivered and he felt paralyzed by his feelings for the blond. "I…" The brunet's body trembled before he felt a wave of calm blanketing his body. The calm was coming from Cloud, pulsing from his heart to ease Leon's confusion in a peaceful, warm embrace.

The blond wrapped his arms around Leon and buried his nose in the base of the brunet's neck. "It's okay, I'm happy. Just be you."

Leon's arms circled the blond and pulled him in closer. He tightened his arms around Cloud and felt the blond's heart beat in unison with his own. He felt desperate. It was driving him crazy that he couldn't put his feelings into words for Cloud. He never had that problem before; he had always been able to understand himself but the blond threw his order and organized thoughts out the window.

"Into the wind." Cloud said lowly, resting his cheek against Leon's chest.

"Into the wind?" Leon repeated in the form of a question.

"I threw your order and organized thoughts into the wind." the blond answered, looking up at his boyfriend with complete adoration. "But that's okay. It'll come back to you."

"It'll come back?" Leon asked, eyes not being able to leave those of the blond.

Cloud looked over his shoulder at the sky then down to the ocean. "It has nowhere to go but into the water." Cloud looked up into Leon's eyes once more. "And the water belongs to you."

"Belongs to me…" Leon repeated as though absorbing the blond's words. He couldn't help but see the ocean rocking in Cloud's eyes.

"Don't think about it too hard. It'll come to you, I promise." Cloud's voice echoed in his head.

Leon felt like he was jolted out of sleep although it came more as a gradual ease from sleep to consciousness. Cloud was still sound asleep in his arms where he left him the night before, his soft breath coming out in a relaxing mantra. Leon searched Cloud's delicate features for a moment before taking a deep breath of his own. He longed to see the colour of his eyes but wouldn't wake the blond for something he could see in the morning. Cloud looked far too peaceful to disturb. The way the early morning light, drifting through the closed blinds, graced his face, made Leon's heart pound in his chest.

Leon settled into their cocoon a little further and snuggled against Cloud's form. They both were still naked from the night before and just that little fact was enough to send Leon's heart into another aching frenzy.

"_I threw your order and organized thoughts into the wind."_ the blond had said in his dream. How right he was. Leon never struggled so much with himself before. He prided himself for always being so composed; composed and sure of what was going on in and around him. He didn't feel that way with Cloud. It wasn't a negative thing; it felt like a powerful dog running on a leash and Leon fighting to keep a firm grip on the leash. If he let it go, the dog would come running back to him but he'd never let go before. With Cloud, the struggled to keep a firm grasp on the one connection between him and the dog.

"_It'll come back to you."_ the blond's voice, once again, echoed in his head. So why did Leon fight so hard to keep his emotions in tact? The brunet took a deep breath and idly drew patterns across Cloud's bare back with his smooth fingers.

Because he'd never let go before.

The brunet turned his head and took in the sight of a sleeping Cloud, clutching onto him as though he were his only life support. The blond's arms wrapped around his body and one leg draped across the brunet's serving to draw them closer still. Cloud's head rested on Leon's chest and the brunet could feel his warm breath against his skin with every exhale the blond made. Their naked bodies were so close and that provided a comforting sensation that put Leon at ease. Nothing hidden, nothing to hide from; it was them and only them.

Leon felt his own features slacken much like they felt like when he was seeing the ocean and sky for the first time in his dream. He was happy but the beauty of here and now with Cloud was too beautiful. The brunet attempted to take a deep breath but found it difficult to keep his own form from quivering. He wanted so badly to wake up the sleeping blond just to see those eyes again, just to hear his voice, but the sight was too perfect to disturb.

Leon placed a gentle kiss against the top of Cloud's head before looking up at the ceiling. He had assured Cloud that his moving away wasn't such a big deal, that they would still get to see each other often, to talk to one another every day, but his heart thudded painfully in his chest when he thought about the little things he would be missing. He wouldn't get to see Cloud's eyes light up when they spoke or the gentle smile form on such perfect lips when Leon said something that amused him. He wouldn't get to feel the warmth radiating off of the blond's willing body whenever he wanted and the thought of talking with the blond over the phone missing that made his heart stutter. He knew he was going to miss the blond the second Cloud walked out of the door and he knew it would be difficult to keep their needs sated over the phone, but Leon needed to remain strong because that was the only thing keeping Cloud strong.

The brunet's fingers continued to roam over the skin across Cloud's back and his thoughts were interrupted by a low moan from the blond's lips. He looked down at Cloud, who was still very much asleep, and his lips twitched slightly. He hadn't felt the urge to smile so much in his life since he met Cloud. He didn't know exactly why he continued to hide it; it was just something he taught himself to do for his own protection. Not just his smile, but his frown, his scowl, his laughter; they all remained hidden to prevent some one from using them against him.

But why Cloud? He knew Cloud wouldn't use anything against him and the brunet wanted so badly to give the blond what he wanted. Cloud wanted to see him smile, and the few times he almost let himself show it his heart raced, he became frightened, and he kept it to himself.

There was something about Cloud that told him that the blond understood. Cloud knew when he was happy and seemed to be getting good at reading his eyes. He only hoped that was good enough for Cloud because the brunet was far too scared to open up just yet. He had taken a few pretty big strides over the past while, attempting to open up to Cloud in a way that he felt comfortable with, but if he wanted this relationship to last as long as he had in mind, he was going to have to start sharing more as time when on.

Once again Leon's train of thought was interrupted by the blond's soft, sleep-heavy voice murmuring his name. Leon's lips twitched again before he took a deep breath, allowing the smile to form on his lips. His eyes roamed over the blond's sweet features causing his heart to throb strongly. Why did it keep doing that?

_Because I care about him._

_You care about Zell, too._

_I care about Cloud romantically._

_Which is called…_

"You mean so much to me, Cloud." Leon whispered to quiet his inner voice. "I wish I could show you how much, I just don't know how."

A small, soft smile formed on Cloud's lips as he shifted closer, tighter, against Leon's body. He murmured something undistinguishable before his face slackened back into its resting expression.

"I don't want you to go." Leon said in a low voice once he was convinced that Cloud was fast asleep again. "I'm going to miss you more than I'll ever let you know. I won't hurt you by telling you how much your leaving is going to hurt me." Cloud's expression didn't change and the brunet's heart began thudding painfully in his chest. "But we'll make it work for as long as we have to. Then we can be together, get our own place, just you and me. We'll start our life together." Cloud still remained motionless.

Leon looked up at the ceiling and blinked back tears that began forming behind his eyes. He never would have thought a feeling this strong could exist but here it was, ripping his heart apart. He glanced over at his clock and figured Zell would be up at this time. He didn't want to leave his slumbering boyfriend but he really needed to distract his mind before Cloud woke up to find him wiping away his own tears. He couldn't show that to Cloud; not yet.

Leon gently moved one of Cloud's arms and pulled back from the blond's grasp. Cloud made a low protest when he felt the brunet move but Leon quickly remedied that with a tender kiss against his forehead.

"Mmm… Leon?" Cloud whispered, his eyes remaining closed.

"I'll be back before you wake up again; promise." Leon said smoothly, brushing blond bangs from Cloud's eyes with a gentle stroke.

"I'll miss you…" the blond said quietly, resettling down against the warm blankets.

Leon smiled down at the already half asleep blond. "I'll miss you, too, Cloud." The words were right there on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't say them.

"Love you…" the blond murmured before dropping back to sleep.

Leon's smile widened slightly as he watched the blond's features slacken once again into a dreamy state. He leaned down and placed a lingering kiss against the blond's lips, feeling only barely a response from the blond before getting up out of bed.

First thing's first, he needed to clean up as they feel asleep with the evidence of their love making. Leon grabbed a pair of night pants and headed to the bathroom. He closed the door quietly before rinsing a cloth with warm water. He washed his body until he was convinced he'd be good until his shower and pulled on his night pants. He gave himself a quick glance in the mirror, running a hand through his hair until it fell into place like a well trained dog, turned off the light, and headed out of the bedroom. He looked over at Cloud once more, eyes turning tender as he listened to Cloud's soft breathing before leaving.

As soon as he closed the door behind him he could hear the radio playing softly in the kitchen. Zell liked to listen to oldies music in the morning while he prepared and ate breakfast. Leon trekked lightly to the kitchen to find Zell by the stove, singing along quietly to the music.

"Have a good night?" Zell asked, letting Leon know that the brunet wasn't quiet enough. A playful grin was playing across the other blond's lips before it dropped, noting Leon's less than playful response.

"Sorry if we woke you…" the brunet said quietly, looking down at the table and tracing a line with his index finger.

"You all right, kid?" Zell asked next, turning from his breakfast and wiping his hands with a kitchen towel.

Leon's eyes looked up at his roommate then fell back down to the table. "I came out here to distract myself. Can we not talk about this?"

"Leon…" Zell said, voice full of concern. "Did something go wrong? Was… was _it_ a mistake?"

Leon took a deep breath and shook his head. "Quite the opposite, actually. _It_ was perfect; he is perfect."

Zell furrowed his brows before tending to his breakfast again. "Then why do you seem so down? Why do you need this distraction?"

"You're not being much of a distraction…" Leon commented, eyes watching the blond pull out two plates and portion to food evenly.

"You have me confused. I'm sorry." Zell replied, placing a plate in front of the brunet before going back to retrieve silverware. "Cloud is perfect, your… err… hmm."

"Sex?" Leon offered.

"Love making." Zell corrected. "Cloud is perfect, your love making was perfect, yet here you are with me in the kitchen looking for a distraction instead of being in bed with your boyfriend." Zell took a seat across from Leon and shovelled a forkful in his mouth.

Leon moved his food around his plate for a moment before taking a bite himself. "I'm just…" he began, swallowing hard. "I feel this… these feelings…"

"Love?" Zell offered before getting a semi-glare from the brunet.

"No… I just don't understand them. I'm so lucky to have him and… he's… he has to move away." Leon swallowed hard again, this time not having any food in his mouth. "It's just difficult to be with him when everything is so perfect knowing that I'm going to lose it."

"You're not going to lose him, Leon." Zell smiled, putting his fork on his plate. "That boy is insanely in love with you."

"I'm not afraid of losing him, Zell." Leon corrected. "I'm afraid of losing this… like, watching him fall asleep, holding onto him while he clings to me… the way he looks at me when I walk into the room…"

Zell stuck out his tongue and grinned. "Details, buddy. I get it already." He chuckled at his own joke before addressing Leon's issue. "You're going to miss being with him, I get it." Zell fell silent for a minute before picking up his fork. "It'll get easier with time."

Leon looked down at his barely touched food and nodded. "Some distraction you're being…"

Zell watched Leon process their conversation and put down his fork again. He knew how to read Leon and right now Leon was hurting, though he would deny it to the grave. He hated seeing his normally composed, assured roommate this way. The whole Cloud situation really tugged on his heart strings as well. He cursed himself for not stepping in beforehand and helping the situation before it became the city's case. Leon just looked so damn sad…

"Hey, Leon…" Zell began, leaning closer to the brunet across the table. "I can give you my word that things are going to work out for you and Cloud, okay?"

"With time, yeah…" Leon said lowly to the table.

Zell gave a soft smile and closed his eyes. He took a moment to think to himself before he nodded, opened his eyes slowly, and nodded towards the bedroom. "You should be with Cloud right now."

Leon swallowed and took a deep breath in. "I do miss him already…" he said, looking towards the bedroom.

Zell grinned and shook his head. "So, uh…" he began chuckling.

"What?" Leon asked, getting up from his chair.

Zell smiled his best devil-may-serve smile and tilted towards Leon's half-naked form. "You must be one hell of a lover."

"Dear Shiva…" Leon replied with exasperation, shaking his head as he turned to leave the kitchen.

Zell laughed and called after Leon's retreating form. "Cloud really voiced his appreciation, didn't he? Our neighbours probably heard it!"

"Good night, Zell…" Leon called back from the hallway.

"Next time give us some warning so he can ensure we're out of the house, ya?" Zell laughed before he heard the bedroom door close softly.

Zell continued to smile for a few moments after Leon had left. It really didn't bother him that Leon and Cloud _did things_ and the noise wasn't too bad when you closed your own bedroom door, turned up the television, and had the ensuite bathroom fan going. Just at the very end… He chuckled to himself again. Cloud let him know when it was over.

His smile soon faded as he inspected the rest of his breakfast. Leon was beginning to worry him. Before he could see it in the brunet's eyes how much their separation was going to affect him, but having the brunet come to him for a distraction meant that he was hurting more than he let on.

Zell sighed to himself, listening to the soft music in the background, before picking up his fork and continued eating.

-.-.-.-

Leon stripped off his night pants before silently slipping back into bed next to Cloud. The blond didn't hesitate before pulling Leon close again and snuggled up to his once again nude, warm body. Leon's eyes softened as he rearranged Cloud's arms to allow himself to rest comfortably next to the blond before letting them pull him close again. Cloud wriggled closer and rested his head on Leon's chest with a soft hum before falling back asleep.

The brunet wrapped his arms around the blond and placed a kiss against silky blond locks. He knew he was not going to be able to sleep again as it was already just over an hour before the alarm would be going off to alert them that it was time to get ready for school.

He looked back down at the blond in his arms and sighed softly to himself. He remembered how he felt when he found out that he was being sent away from his father. For him, though, he wasn't leaving anyone important behind. It was still scary as hell, but he knew nothing could be worse than the way he had been living. For Cloud, on the other hand, he was leaving a lover behind. He had made some really great friends at school. To make matters worse, there was always the option to stay with Leon when he couldn't handle what happened at home, which Leon didn't have back in Balamb. It would have made his life more bearable until they made plans to live together.

Leon frowned as he recalled the day he told Cloud about what happened to him. Cloud seemed so sad that such things happened to Leon and when the brunet told him about his moving away from his father, Cloud responded with a "I couldn't do it." Just remembering that one line from the conversation made Leon very nervous. Cloud didn't think he had the strength to endure such a life-changing event and now here he was being forced into it. It worried Leon that Cloud seemed to have a detached optimism regarding the situation, regardless of the support he had been receiving, and he had no idea what was really happening inside the blond's head. He didn't want to push to understand either. He was too afraid of the blond withdrawing like he had before when things got to be too much.

No, Leon wanted to be Cloud's safe haven and as much as he wanted to understand his boyfriend completely, he wasn't about to push to the point where Cloud became uncomfortable talking to him. Leon wanted to be Cloud's rock, not his therapist.

Leon began stroking Cloud's bear back again and felt his heart flutter when Cloud made those contented mewling sounds again. There wasn't a whole lot about Cloud that Leon didn't adore and the little cute things the blond did without even knowing it made Leon want to smile again. He held it back and continued to run his fingers over soft skin searching for the areas that caused the blond to purr.

He tried to image what it would be like for Cloud when he was sent away to his new home. He knew what he, himself, felt like when it happened to him, but in so many ways it was different. Leon didn't leave anyone important behind. Once he thought about it, he actually escaped people he needed to be away from.

It was different for Cloud, though, as Cloud was safely tucked in his arms, away from his mother, and the brunet was sure he could beat some sense into Tony. Cloud's life was beginning to get better just before he was being forced to move away. Away from his friends, his boyfriend, and his life as he knew it.

Leon sniffed silently and shook his head to dispel that thought before biting his lower lip. It was too late; his mind was already taking him places he didn't want to be.

He remembered so clearly how it felt to walk into a new home for the first time, living with people you didn't know, and preparing for school at a new school you knew nothing about. Leon glanced down at the blond's peaceful, slumbering expression and his heart thudded. The brunet wondered who the people were that would be taking Cloud into their home. Would they be strict? Friendly? Abusive?

Leon shook his head again and looked up at the ceiling, unconsciously tightening his arms around Cloud. He hoped Cloud got as lucky as he did. Zell was a real blessing, in disguise, of course, but a blessing. If Cloud's new home was bad then Leon would break him out himself and they would run away together.

Leon huffed silently to himself and shook his head. He never felt the need to play hero so much in his life. The blond brought something out in him that he hardly recognized but seemed to fit perfectly.

What about the people at his new school? Leon's eyes hardened at the ceiling and he clenched his jaw. The new people would eye Cloud, wondering who the new kid was, much like they did to the brunet. How would they take his sexuality? Would they be like Brad, Brantley, and Xander, or would they be like Tony and his friends? Leon's arms tightened a little more around the blond's body.

What if he caught somebody's eye? What if someone turned out the really like him? What if Cloud really liked them back? Leon's heart began pounding in his chest as his arms instinctively tightened once more.

He knew Cloud loved him but it was hard to think about never really knowing what's going on in Cloud's day to day life. Sure, Cloud would tell him about his day when they called each other, but what details would he leave out, accidently or out of guilt?

Leon's jaw clenched and unclenched in a sporadic rhythm as his arms tightened further. The brunet was jealous. He was scared. He hated himself for getting himself all worked up over something that probably won't ever happen but the thought of not being able to hold Cloud, to kiss him or make love to him really scared him.

The stress of the worry Leon was causing himself distracted him so he didn't realize how tight he was holding onto the blond. He couldn't pull Cloud close enough. He needed Cloud to be a part of him; physically, emotionally, Cloud wasn't close enough.

He took in a deep breath and blinked back a couple of tears from behind his eyes and loosened his death grip on his boyfriend. He took another deep breath and felt his heart calm down a little. He swallowed hard and looked down and was instantly put at complete ease at the sight of crystal blue eyes, rocking like the ocean in his dream with emotion, looking up at him.

Cloud's eyes almost laughed as they bore into the brunet's soul and Leon saw nothing but raw affection and love behind the two pools. He wasn't startled to find the blond awake. He didn't feel bad about almost smothering Cloud. It was as if a piece of his life had fallen into place. Something inside of him clicked and he could do nothing but stare back into the most beautiful eyes on the planet.

Cloud was his life.

-o-o-o-

R&R, please? I miss the FF world and your reiews are what's keeping me sane!


	25. Chapter 23

A/N: Here's the next chapter! I won't go on and on here because, well, I really only have a few minutes. I just wanted to say that this chapter hasn't really been edited much. For that, I'm sorry. I figured you might want to read an unedited update a month and a half after the last update rather than an edited version which may take a few more weeks to do.

As I said before, I'm working towards something that will give me more time to write, but doing it will take time. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this long. *much love, from the bottom of my heart* I promise this story will get a proper ending and I even have a sequel in mind. When I am able to write again (more than once every few weeks) that will be coming out.

As always, I hope you enjoy! For those of you who are wondering, I am estimating about four chapters left before Salacity is complete (not including this one). This is just an estimate and can change depending on how much detail I write for the rest of the plot. I'll keep you posted!

-o-o-o-

The nightstand alarm startled Cloud out of his dreamy gaze into Leon's eyes and he couldn't help but notice the small twitch of Leon's lips when his body relaxed from the slight shock. He felt Leon's hand brush back his bangs from his eyes before they idly traveled over his shoulders to his bear back where they began lightly stroking his smooth skin. Cloud let out a low, appreciative moan and settled further into Leon's arms, eyes slowly making their way back to Leon's with just as much adore as before the alarm went off.

Without breaking eye contact, Leon reached over and turned the alarm off before his arm encircled the blond and gently pulled him closer to his own body. At this gesture, Cloud's lips formed a soft smile and his eyes fluttered faintly before falling shut once more.

"Don't fall back asleep, sleepy head." Leon whispered before placing a kiss against Cloud's forehead. "We have to get up in a couple of minutes and get ready for school."

Cloud hummed in acknowledgement and shifted closer still to Leon's body. Leon's hand continued to stoke Cloud's back softly, Cloud's body melting further with every stroke.

There was a few moments of silence between them as both soaked up as much of this feeling as possible before they had to get up and face the day. Both would have been more than happy to take the day off and spend it together in bed, but high school didn't always work that way. Cloud didn't really feel the need to continue going to school but he knew Leon would, and he wanted to see his friends as much as possible before he was forced to move. That thought caused his heart to ache in his chest before Leon spoke.

"How are you feeling?"

Cloud's lips formed a soft smile and he sighed contentedly. "Amazing…"

"You may be singing a different tune once you attempt to sit up." Leon said light-heartedly, pinching Cloud's shoulder gently.

Cloud's smile widened and he took a deep breath. "No, it'll be a nice reminder of what happened last night." His eyes fluttered open and gazed lovingly into Leon's. "It was amazing."

Leon's eyes softened as he sighed lightly to himself. "It was." He reluctantly looked back at the alarm clock and nibbled on his lower lip. "I think we need to start getting ready for school, though."

Cloud pouted playfully and buried his head within Leon's chest, mumbling something incoherent causing the brunet's lips to do that twitchy thing again. They stayed that way for another couple of minutes before Cloud let out a deep sigh and attempted to sit up in bed, hissing slightly as a sharp pain ran from his backside up his spine.

"Told you so…" was all Leon had to offer, sitting up and offered Cloud support by way of rubbing the blond's firm biceps.

Cloud closed one of his eyes and arched his other brow, playfully glaring at his lover. "Ouch…"

Leon huffed and looked as though he was about to smile but caught himself before it broke the surface. Cloud's other eye opened and a sweet smile played across his lips. "Did… did I almost witness a smile from the Ice Prince?"

Leon rolled his eyes with a sigh before shaking his head. "No, I don't believe that you did."

"Are you sure?" Cloud asked, tilting his head and pulling off 'cute' expertly. "Because I swear I almost saw a smile grace that gorgeous face of yours."

Leon stilled his hands on Cloud's arms and pinched one lightly causing the blond to flinch before pursing his lips. "Hmm… you seem awake. Odd that you might have _thought_ you saw something so absurd…"

Cloud chuckled and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. "No, no… I'm definitely awake and I definitely-"

"_Think_ you saw me _almost_ smile?" Leon tilted his head and closed on eye sceptically. "That seems rather far fetched."

"You're just being difficult now." Cloud giggled, poking the brunet's side with a finger causing the brunet to jerk away. "Admit it. Be a man and admit that you almost smiled."

"There's nothing to admit." Leon said in playful disbelief. "Nothing almost happened."

Cloud scrunched his nose as an evil smile spread across his lips. "Liar." he accused, pulling himself up on his hands and knees and leaned in close to Leon's face. It took all of Leon's will power not to look down as the bed sheets cascaded down Cloud's thighs and formed a soft pile under the blond's naked form.

"Now you're accusing me of being a liar?" Leon asked, trying to distract himself from the tempting sight in front of him. Cloud crawled slowly closer to his naked lover with that evil smile still playing on his lips. "Geez, one night of bliss and I unleash a- What are you doing?"

Cloud's lips breathed hot breath against Leon's, keeping their lips millimetres apart as his body hovered over Leon's. Nothing to hide behind, their bodies reacting out in the open for the other to see. Had Leon allowed himself to look down, he would have _seen._

"I'm trying to draw out a confession." Cloud purred, lips barely brushing against Leon's. "Did or didn't you almost smile just now?" He moved his body so he was completely hovering over Leon's and lowered himself slightly, only enough so the brunet could feel the body heat emitting from his own.

Leon huffed and focused his eyes on Cloud's, enjoying this interrogation. "I told you I think you're seeing things-" He was interrupted by a low moan erupting from his own throat as Cloud lowered himself so he was straddling the brunet's hips. Each now knew without looking that they both were hard. "Gods…"

"Is that what you really think?" Cloud asked, slowly running his tongue across Leon's lips, which immediately let out another short moan in response.

"I…" Leon panted, eyes trained on blue. "I… think so…"

Cloud rocked his hips slightly causing a groan this time to escape from the brunet's lips. He dipped his tongue into the brunet's mouth to taste the sound before barely pulling back. "You… think… so…?" he asked, continuing the rocking motion on the brunet's lap.

"Yes…" the brunet hissed, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. His head lulled back as pleasure rippled through his body at the pace Cloud was setting.

"Hmm…" Cloud pursed his lips before smiling. "That's a real shame…" He hoped off of Leon's lap and climbed out of bed, trying his hardest not to wince at the pain from the night before. "That could have been a lot of fun…"

Leon's eyes snapped open as he watched the blond make his way over to their dresser and pull out a fresh pair of boxers. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Cloud looked over his shoulder at his obviously aroused boyfriend and feigned a nonchalant stare. "Nope." His eyes lowered to Leon's obvious distress. "Looks painful…"

"You're cruel." Leon said, finally allowing himself to look down at Cloud's erection. It sent shivers down his spine directly to his own arousal.

"I thought I saw you almost smile." Cloud said, pretending to focus on his boxers. "I guess I was wrong…"

Leon bit his lower lip, propping himself up on his elbows. "What if I said you weren't… wrong…"

Cloud's eyes flicked to his lover then refocused on the boxers in his hand. "You seemed pretty sure." In all honesty, Cloud was rather enjoying teasing his lover.

"Perhaps I'm a liar." Leon admitted, climbing out of bed and making his way to the cute little blond by the dresser. "How does that sound?"

Cloud couldn't fight off his smile as Leon's arms circled around his body. He wrapped his arms around Leon and pulled himself close. His body trembled slightly as Leon's hardened flesh pressed up against his own once again. "So you might have almost smiled?"

Leon squeezed the blond tightly and kissed the top of his head. "Let's think this one through." He moved his body causing their arousals to move against one another, drawing a moan from the blond. "You think you might have seen me almost smile, but I denied it, right?"

Cloud's jaw hung slightly as Leon's flesh thrust against his own. "Uhh huh…" he mumbled absentmindedly.

"But I maintain that you were seeing things, in which you retaliated that I am a… _liar_, was it?"

Leon supported Cloud's body with his own and let out a quiet moan as the friction between their erections increased.

"What?" Cloud asked, his mind not able to follow Leon's logic as it filled with heat.

"You called me a liar before you straddled me, did you not?" Leon asked, running his hand own Cloud's back before rubbing the blond's firm ass. "At least that's what I recall."

"Yeah, I did…" Cloud said in a huff. He couldn't help but begin to thrust lightly into Leon's hips, legs going shaky as he felt the brunet reciprocate the thrusts.

"And as I continued to deny this apparent almost-smile…" he interrupted himself with a groan as the thrusting between them became more prominent. "Gods, Cloud… you feel so good…"

"L-Leon…" Cloud panted as Leon's fingers teased his entrance.

"I… uh…" Leon panted, fingers lightly stroking Cloud. "Damn…" He huffed before taking a deep breath. "I denied it and you… what? What did you do?"

"I got up…" Cloud answered from somewhere far away. "I left you in bed…" His body shuddered at Leon's ministrations.

"That's right." Leon withdrew his hand and took a step back from the dazed blond.

Cloud's eyes went wide as he tried to process the now cold air attacking his body. "What are you doing? Come here!"

Leon huffed and Cloud swore he almost saw him smile again. The brunet took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, how the tables have turned. And I _didn't_ almost smile." With that, he winked at the blond and turned to take a very, _very_ cold shower.

-.-.-.-

Cloud was still shivering when he joined Leon in the kitchen after his own cold shower. He had half a mind to take care of himself, but since he was sure Leon didn't, he decided against it. He hated cold showers and it helped get rid of his erection only a little.

When he entered the kitchen, Leon was cooking them breakfast and Zell was sitting at the table, sipping on his coffee and reading a newspaper. When the blond entered, Zell looked up from the article he was reading and offered a sincere smile.

"Good morning."

"'Morning," Cloud reciprocated with a faint smile and took a seat across from the other blond.

"How'd you sleep in your new room?" Zell asked, placing his paper on the table and stealing another gulp from his mug.

Cloud watched the older boy carefully, looking for a hint of teasing and was surprised that he didn't see anything amiss within those eyes. "Good…" he answered, watching for a reaction that never came. The coffee, though, it looked nice and hot. He could use one of those after being bombarded by freezing cold water.

As though Leon anticipated this, he placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of Cloud and kissed the top of his head before retreating back to the counter to tend to breakfast again. Cloud wrapped his hands around the hot mug and sighed to himself as the heat made its way from his hands to the rest of his body.

"Glad to hear it." Zell responded to Cloud's answer before quickly glancing at the brunet then picking up his paper.

Cloud's eyes surveyed Zell for a few more moments in silence before fleeting over to his boyfriend, who was portioning the food on two plates. _Maybe he really didn't hear much?_

"I mean," Zell began and Cloud mentally braced himself. "I really didn't think you slept all that well so I'm glad you got adequate sleep." His eyes flickered up to Cloud as a knowing smile crept across his lips. "It sounded like-"

"Your breakfast, babe." Leon interrupted, placing a plate down in front of Cloud and taking a seat between the two blonds. "What time are you leaving?" he asked, turning to Zell.

Zell's smile widened as he placed the paper down again, drawing a long sip from his coffee. "In about twenty minutes." he answered, his expression changing to one of complete innocence. "I didn't get much sleep last night so I've decided to skip first class." He glanced back at Cloud with a wink, causing the younger blond to flush with embarrassment. Zell decided to enjoy the reaction he received rather than put Cloud out of his misery, so he sat there watching as Cloud manoeuvred uncomfortably in his chair before focusing really hard on taking that first sip of his coffee.

After Cloud swallowed his coffee, he shifted in his seat once more and tried to look composed. "I'm... I-I'm sorry…"

Zell chuckled and Leon rolled his eyes. The brunet shook his head before giving Zell a swift kick in the shin under the table. "Don't apologize to him, Cloud."

"Yeah, Cloud," Zell piped up, his smile returning and his eyes telling the world that he was thoroughly enjoying this. "No need to apologize. It wasn't your fault that Leon ravaged you so completely."

Cloud turned a few shades darker of red and let his eyes close softly, searching for that happy place that would protect him from the outside world.

"Zell…" Leon muttered. "For Shiva's sake, leave Cloud alone." The brunet turned to his boyfriend and softly shook him from whatever escape he managed to find within his own head. "Ignore him, 'kay? Eat your breakfast."

Cloud opened his eyes and looked into Leon's before they shifted back to Zell's. "I wasn't apologizing for being loud last night, and I _know_ that wasn't my fault," he grinned at Leon before shaking his head sympathetically at Zell. "I was sorry that you didn't get any last night as well… or, well, how long has it been for you?"

Zell's jaw dropped to the table and a short chuckle escaped his lips. "Cloud! Ouch!" He laughed and pounded his fist on the table. "Damn, kid, you're spicy! I love it!" He chuckled once again and got up from his chair, shaking his head before rustling Leon's hair. "Hang on to this one, ya?"

"Hit too close to home?" Leon asked, batting Zell's hand away from his head. "Gotta get away before he points out another painful fact in your poor, lonely existence?"

Zell raised his eyebrows and an evil smile formed across his lips once more. "You wouldn't know, Leon. When I get laid I do it at their house or I keep my voice down so I don't disturb _you_." He glanced over to the other blond and winked happily. "Just… saying… some of us have control over our voices during sex."

"Some of _us_ aren't getting laid as good as others, then." Cloud fired back, his lips forming a quirky grin. "Really, it's all about finding a selfless, passionate partner. I would assume your partners aren't screaming out your name either, ya?"

"Geez, Cloud." Zell laughed. "Keep the gloves up, kid!"

"Just… saying, y'know?" Cloud said, winking at the other blond with a self-satisfied smile.

"I'm ejecting myself out of this conversation." Zell chuckled. "Wow, Blondie…"

"Don't start something you can't finish." Leon said, raising an eyebrow at the older blond. "He's only teasing you, Zell."

"I'm only _teasing_ you, Zell." Cloud repeated, tilting his head innocently. "No hard feelings?" His innocent expression dropped replaced with an evil smile.

"He just got beaten at his own game." Leon explained, shaking his head sympathetically. "He just needs to go recompose. It's sad to watch, really."

"Okay, I'm out!" Zell said, swiping his paper off the table and trekking towards the kitchen door. "Have a good day at school, kiddies."

Cloud's smile turned triumphant as he turned to face Leon. Leon's expression was hard to interpret but Cloud knew he would have been smiling if he could.

"Nice work, babe." Leon said, taking a bite of his breakfast. "It's nice to have someone on my side for once. It's usually Zell and Irvine versus yours truly."

Cloud felt proud for an unknown reason and he couldn't help but smile at the exchange that just took place. He watched Leon chew his food before swallowing when blue-gray eyes lifted to meet his. All of a sudden he didn't feel as confident under that stare and he looked down at his food, smile fading slightly as he took a bite that disguised his abrupt lapse of confidence. He couldn't help but notice as Leon's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched him eat but Cloud kept his eyes down.

"What are you thinking?" Leon asked, placing his fork down on his plate, studying Cloud's new expression.

Cloud forced a smile and tilted his head, attempting to come off as relaxed. "I do actually feel bad about being… like, so… loud."

Leon's lips twitched slightly and it took even more control to contain his smile when Cloud's smile widened at the sight. The brunet shook his head. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You almost smi-"

"No, I didn't." Leon interrupted. "Now finish your breakfast. We have to get ready for school."

-.-.-.-

Zell closed his door as quietly as he could behind himself. He took a moment and leaned back on the door as his eyes roamed around his room before he allowed them to close. A small smile crept up and he took a deep breath as his mind went over and over what he needed to do. It didn't really feel like he _needed_ to do it, per se, but it was definitely something he wanted to do.

His eyes opened and he slowly made his way over to his bed and took a seat on the very edge. He stretched out his legs and relaxed his hands on his lap as he looked over at his desk. Normally he kept his room somewhat tidy but papers were thrown all over his desk right now, something he told himself that wasn't necessary to clean up at the moment until he figured everything out.

As though he were restless, Zell pulled himself up off of his bed and wandered towards his desk and looked down at a couple of papers that managed to keep on top of the pile. He flipped a couple of pieces over before dropping them haphazardly back down with the others.

He thought some more for a few moments before bending down and pulling out the phone book. He flipped through the pages before finding the number he was looking for and pulled out his cell phone. He punched in the number and hesitated before pushing the 'call' button. He was doing the right thing.

When the line picked up on the other end he took a deep breath before taking a seat at his desk.

-.-.-.-

Leon and Cloud walked side by side, hand in hand, to school and the blond couldn't help but notice what a perfect day it was. The sun was shining, the clouds were fluffy, and a cool breeze kept Leon's scent right with him the entire way. He looked up at the sky, not noticing that he was smiling as the rays made his eyes twinkle in the happiest way.

Leon noticed Cloud's mood and it made his chest throb. It was difficult to pin, but something within the blond had changed. Changed from what, he didn't know, but somehow the blond looked genuinely happy. His smile came easier, his eyes appeared bluer and they twinkled as if they were the cause of the bright blue sky. He seemed perfectly at bliss.

Leon pursed his lips as his eyes roamed over his boyfriend before he licked his lips. "I'll try not to ask this too much today, but how are you feeling?"

"Perfect." Cloud answered automatically, eyes not leaving the sky above.

Leon's eyes narrowed as they took in the angelic sight beside him. He squeezed Cloud's hand, which was immediately returned, before reiterating his question. "I mean, how are you… like, does it hurt as much? How are _you_ feeling?"

Cloud's eyes slid from the sky to blue-gray and his smile widened. "It makes me think about last night. I like it."

Leon's eyes softened and both seemed to have the same idea as they both moved closer and leaned towards the other for a kiss. Their pace slowed to allow for a steadier kiss and before they knew it, they had stopped walking all together. Cloud's hand was still in Leon's and the brunet led the blond to turn around to face him, his other hand wrapping around Cloud's waist to pull him closer.

Cloud moaned as he submitted to Leon's tongue and opened his mouth for the building passion that was being created between them. Cloud leaned up to better match their height and pulled Leon's head closer with his free hand while pushing his body tight against the brunet's.

They stayed that way for a few moments until a passing car distracted them. Cloud's eyes followed the car as it drove by and the brunet's stayed on the blond. When Cloud's eyes lifted to meet Leon's, the brunet began walking again, leading the blond down the road.

They walked the remainder of the way to school in silence, both reflecting on their inner thoughts about where they were at the moment and what had happened between them. Both felt as though the night before changed something between them, within them, but neither could place exactly what that was.

For Cloud, something clicked into place. For as long as he could remember, he fought to win the love of those around him who he thought _should _love him. It always made his chest tighten in almost embarrassment that that one person in his life, the only one that should love him, was his mother. After trying so hard, his defence system took over and made him almost jaded towards the fact that he would never be loved by her like he yearned for. When a romantic relationship, physical if not emotional, sprung up between him and Tony, Cloud tried to be the person he thought Tony wanted him to be. That blew up in his face awfully quick and once again he was left only with his defence system to protect him from the pain he felt when realization hit him that there was really no one in this world that loved him the way he needed to be loved.

Cloud needed to be loved. It was ingrained in his being that he needed someone to want him to feel complete. Last night, even though the words were never spoken, Cloud knew that Leon felt those things Cloud needed from him. The way the brunet clung onto him relieved a long-time ache he held in his chest for far too long. He got want he wanted: Leon; and what he needed: Leon.

For Leon, last night abolished any doubt in his mind that he couldn't trust Cloud. Cloud was so damn easy to read, and what made things better, Cloud didn't seem to have the need to hide anything from him. But the thing that changed the most for him was the realization that something he needed was fulfilled. Leon needed to be needed, and Cloud needed him. Cloud didn't need him for a place to stay nor did he need him to look after him. Cloud needed him because he loved him. Cloud needed him because that's what his very soul was telling him. Leon never realized how much being needed was needed by him and last night proved that he needed Cloud as much as Cloud needed him.

This new revelation opened up a whole new world to Leon that he was just beginning to understand. What he believed in before didn't quite make sense anymore. He couldn't label or explain what he felt last night when he was with Cloud and that feeling persisted even now, as they walked to school. Cloud's smile, his eyes, the feeling of his hand in his own, the feelings they created between them the night before, they all sent a message to his heart telling him something. That feeling might as well have been in a different language, though, as Leon was barely able to wrap his head around the intensity of it all. It almost frustrated him that he couldn't understand. He was still missing something.

Both boys were brought out of their deep pondering by Xander's voice coming from across the school yard. He was waving with a big smile with Brad, Brantley, and Eric at his flank.

"Heeey-yaaa!"

Cloud had no control over the over-happy smile that exploded at the sound of Xander's cheerful voice. He chuckled lightly to himself before meeting Xander's eyes. "Hey yourself."

"Don't we look chipper this morning." Xander replied, slowing his eager pace once he got close enough to the couple. "Having a good morning?"

"Or had a great night." Brantley threw in, earning a laugh from every boy there except for Leon, or course.

"Omigawd! Are you serious?!" Xander exclaimed, his eyes dancing back and forth between Leon and Cloud before settling on Cloud. It seemed like the safer bet. "Did you two do the deed last night??"

"Where is this coming from?" Cloud protested, taking a step back away from the small group and semi-hid behind Leon, who was watching the conversation nonchalantly.

"Well, let's see…" Brantley started, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought. "You two do look awfully close this morning; more than usual, I should say. Cloud's grinning like an idiot right now," Brantley listed, pointing to the, sure enough, grinning blond. "You both look very at ease and relaxed, a suggestion of a… good night. Cloud's still grinning like an idiot, and, let's face it, Blondie, it's not overly hard to know what you're thinking. You wear your heart on your sleeve."

Leon shifted his stance to stand more comfortably and sighed silently to himself. Cloud's smile widened and he felt incredibly stupid for being so transparent. He felt like a chick. Finally, he cleared his throat and came out from his semi-hiding place and offered Xander a sweet smile. "Call Irvine yet?"

Xander seemed confused by the question at first before recomposing. "You mean… I- For what?"

"You guys are prying on about my love life. I'm just asking about yours." Cloud clarified, his smile remaining steady on his face. "We did see a love connection yesterday, did we not?"

Xander flushed as his eyes fell to the ground. He tried to hide a small smile but failed as his lips twitched a couple of times.

"Heh, maybe you guys can double date." Brantley offered, attempting to be helpful. Ha… "You, Irvine, and these two. That'll be fun, won't it?" he asked playfully, fully enjoying the discomfort Xander was feeling now.

"We're not dating yet…" Xander offered defensively before realizing what he'd just said. "I mean, we're not-"

"Yet," Eric inserted with a smile. "But you two did look like you liked one another."

Cloud smiled as the focus was effectively taken off of him and Leon. He looked up at the brunet with a smile as the boys continued to tease Xander and winked. Leon's lips pursed and he squeezed Cloud's hand gently, which was promptly returned.

"You're getting good at that." Leon said lowly while the other boys were distracted.

"At what?" Cloud asked with a knowing grin.

"Deflecting. That's twice this morning." Leon answered, moving so he stood facing the blond. He wrapped his arms around the blond's body and pulled him in to a tight hug. "I'm going to have to start being more careful around you."

"Whaddya have to hide?" Cloud asked, looking up at his boyfriend while arching his brow.

Leon closed on of his eyes and slowly shook his head. "Not a thing."

"You _sure_?" Cloud asked cutely, tilting his head as if he could get a better look into Leon's mind that way.

Leon huffed as he leaned down and kissed the blond chastely on the lips. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Cloud asked, tilting his head for real this time.

"Be cute." the brunet answered, running a hand through silky blond spikes. "It's hard to focus when you do that."

Cloud smiled and leaned into Leon's touch. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Mushy, mushy, mushy!" Brantley sang, bringing Cloud and Leon's attention back to the group. The blond was shocked to learn that everyone was watching him and Leon.

"Uh… Hi!" Cloud said, smiling sweetly. "What are we talking about?"

Brad shook his head and cracked his knuckles. "I think what everyone wants to know is what _you two_ were talking about."

"Details!" Xander almost cheered. "Sooo… Tell me about-"

"Quiet time…" Brad interrupted, covering Xander's mouth with his hand and patted him on the head. "Shh, shh…"

"I think we should head to our lockers now." Leon suggested, looking at the blond before his eyes scanned their friends. "Cats out of the bag now, so let's just minimize the damage."

Cloud grinned and looked back at his friends. "This is what happens when you guys act like asses." He stuck out his tongue and turned to follow Leon towards the building.

The other boys just giggled as they watched the couple leave hand in hand.

"I just wanted to ask if it hurt!" Xander shouted to draw attention. He grinned and winked at Cloud when the blond whipped around and gawked at his rather loud question. It was Xander's turn to act cute as he tilted his head and waved good-bye to Cloud. Leon glanced back and Xander swore he saw the brunet's lips twitch. For once he wasn't the last one to pick up on something.

-.-.-.-

Cloud was in high spirits because his first class was with Leon, among other things. Leon sat directly to his right and he found himself smiling and glancing over at his boyfriend more often than not. Leon caught a couple of these glances and offered a wink in return. That only served to make Cloud's smile widen.

When he wasn't glancing at Leon, Cloud doodled on the sheet of paper in front of him. He wasn't doodling Leon's name or little hearts or anything embarrassing like that; he was just keeping himself preoccupied while the teacher droned on and on about… what class was he in? He looked up and rolled his eyes as the teacher passionately told the story of some historical event, or something.

The blond sighed lightly to himself and glanced back over to Leon, who was writing down notes from the lecture. Cloud smiled to himself and watched as Leon's eyes danced across the page, looking up momentarily at the teacher before dropping back down to write some more. Watching those eyes made Cloud's heart swell with love for the brunet. Leon didn't even have to try to be sexy; he was naturally drop-dead gorgeous. It was enough to make his eyes tear up.

His smile to himself widened as his mind registered the still light throb deep inside from the night before. Sitting in the school's chairs weren't the most comfortable thing to do after the night he had last night, but it served as a wonderful reminder of what had happened between him and Leon. He wasn't lying to Leon when he told him that he liked it. He loved being reminded of what had happened and knowing that it was _that_ part of Leon who left that throbbing reminder made his cheeks flush slightly.

He couldn't help himself for thinking that way. After the morning they had, suppressed by a cold shower, Cloud's mind tended to focus on details rather than abstract. He could easily recall how it felt when his orgasm subsided while Leon was still in the middle of his. He remembered what Leon's expression looked like as he trembled as his climax unwound. Those thought darkened his already present blush and he could feel his cheek heat up with the memories.

Cloud glanced back over to Leon and was almost startled to find the brunet watching him calmly. Cloud offered a half smile which was returned with a narrowing of the eyes. Cloud narrowed his eyes back playfully before smiling at Leon. Leon's eyes quickly looked Cloud up and down before he tilted his head slightly.

Cloud bit his lower lip and sighed softly. His eyes met Leon's once more and his heart pounded in his chest, so full of emotion. Leon seemed to pick up on this as his eyes softened.

Cloud couldn't restrain the surge of happiness and shifted in his chair restlessly, causing him to flinch slightly at the mild shock of pain. Leon's eyes softened further and his tilted his head, almost in way of apology. The blond responded only with a smile and his thoughts went back to the less than innocent images that were in his head. His cheeks flushed once more and he sent Leon a wicked smile.

Leon must have picked up on what Cloud was thinking of because he shook his head in a playful warning before refocusing on his notes. Cloud smiled at his boyfriend's avoidance. He knew what was going on in Leon's head right now because the brunet began doodling on his notes.

-o-o-o-

I wanna write the next chapter right –now-!!! I'll try to keep the next update less than a month and a half away.

I would _looove_ to hear what you think, though! Please review?


	26. Chapter 24

A/N: Hey guys! Not too much to say here. I've already started the next chapter so hopefully I can cut down on the update wait time in, but we all know how life gets. That being said, I'm in the process of finding a library to escape to with my laptop so I can write in peace so hopefully it all works out.

Boring stuff, I know. I'll let you get to the reading. Enjoy!

-o-o-o-

A few deep breaths and a lot of effort to keep his mind focused served to keep the blond's mind from wandering too far about what went on the night before and half way through his second class, he could pretend to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. He was proud that he even knew what class he was in.

In all honesty, he really didn't need to be there right now. The material the teacher was teaching was irrelevant to Cloud as he wouldn't be around at the end of the semester where he would be expected to complete his exams proving that he studied this material. He was going through the motions for one reason. He wanted to stick as close to Leon as much as possible before he would have to move away.

Of course, it was just as well that he had this class with Xander, who seemed to be cheery and very optimistic about this new life Cloud was going to be forced to live. Although that did nothing to calm the dread of the impending move for the blond, it was better than having the boy frown at him every time he looked at him.

Instead, Xander would smile and raise his eyebrows as if he just had another great idea for their road trips they seemed to constantly be planning. Cloud was grateful and would smile back at Xander, but it still made his heart sink that the others didn't fully understand what he was going through or how he felt. The exception would be Leon, but even the brunet was keeping optimistic and seemed to hide what he was really feeling about what was going on.

Cloud idly tapped his pencil on his textbook and glanced up at the clock. It was incredibly boring being at school and not learning anything. Technically he could be learning but he didn't see the point. He was at school just so he could spend time with the people that mattered to him instead of sitting at home, alone, wallowing in his own misery. He might as well make the best of it.

When he thought about it, it did kind of bother him that Leon seemed all right with the idea of Cloud moving away. Cloud knew why Leon felt that way, as he had told him many times that it wasn't going to signal the end of their relationship, but Cloud wanted to see something more from the brunet. He wanted to know that he wasn't the only one hurting over what was going on. Leon did express some of the same feelings, but Cloud wanted to mourn with someone; with Leon. The blond knew they would still be together and he knew that it was a temporary fix. He believed Leon when he said that they would get a place of their own after graduation and would start their lives together, but Cloud was going to miss him and the thought of the phone being their only means of communication during the week made his heart hurt. It would have been nice to hear that Leon was feeling just as much pain as he was.

But Leon didn't do that sort of thing. Cloud was thrilled with what emotion Leon did express, verbally if nothing else, and although the blond understood that Leon kept to himself for the most part, he yearned to _see_ that Leon was feeling what he said he was feeling.

The blond sighed to himself to alleviate the pain that was beginning to build in his chest and wasn't surprised when Xander's head turned towards him with an expression of compassionate concern. Cloud offered Xander a quick smile with was returned with a quick glance over his features by his friend. Cloud's smile turned genuine and that's when Xander offered one back, eyes softening before moving back to the notes he was taking.

He really did love his friends.

As if on cue, the speakers buzzed on and the receptionist's voice interrupted the sound of the static.

"_Cloud Strife, please report to the principal's office."_

Cloud waited for it and sighed to himself when every pair of eyes in the classroom turned and looked at him. What was it with all this curiousity? Everyone knew that something was going on with him, but could they not at least pretend not to care? They had done it for so long before Leon showed up; now that everyone had a different piece of juicy gossip backing up their curiousity, their eyes pried at him as if he were about to stand up on his chair and announce the real story of what's been going on with him.

_Ladies and gents, a moment, if you please. I am actually and alien from another world and Leon is here to take me back to my home planet. The bruises, you ask? It's actually the colour of my skin. My make-up is a little uneven today. I thank you for your attention and have a pleasant day. Or, as they say on my planet: Won chiku ru!_

It took a fair amount of effort not to roll his eyes; instead, Cloud stood up slowly and packed his belongings into his bag before glancing back at Xander. Xander, dear Xander. The boy was watching Cloud with eyes of a perfect blend of _good luck_ and _it'll all be all right!_ Cloud offered him a quick smile which was promptly returned before he made his way to the door.

In passing the teacher, Cloud caught her eye and it bothered him that even she was wearing an expression of curiousity. By now Cloud was sure that every teacher in the school understood what was going on and that's why she wasn't saying anything to him. Normally, teachers would continue teaching as though there were no interruption at all. Cloud figured his story was too interesting to ignore, especially for teachers who wanted _nothing but the best_ for him.

Once the door closed behind him, Cloud quickened his pace and headed straight for the principal's office. He couldn't afford to be stopped by anyone, especially if that someone was Tony or anyone from his gang. That thought had his heart beating just a little quicker than it should have and he was relieved, with a slow exhale, when the office came into view. No doubt he would have just fought them off like he normally would, but the introduction of the knife into the equation and Tony's questionable motives made Cloud very nervous.

Cloud opened the door to the principal's office and couldn't help but glance back behind him as it closed. The school's receptionist offered him a friendly smile and told him that the principal would only be a moment.

As per the normal routine, Cloud walked over to the chairs, shuffled his bag off his shoulder, and took a seat. Again, he couldn't help the private smile as a throbbing pain shot up his spine making him blush slightly. He shook his head to dispel that thought and looked up just as principal Sephiroth opened the door to his private office.

"Good morning, Cloud." the principal offered with a small smile. Cloud didn't realize it until that moment, but he was incredibly angry at Sephiroth for what he'd done. And that condescending smile he was giving him right now, no, Cloud wasn't going to fall into that trap. Sephiroth's eyes danced over the defensive look Cloud was giving him before continuing. "Will you join me in my office?"

Without saying a word or taking his now angry eyes off of the principal, Cloud stood up from the chair, ignoring the throbbing pain, grabbed his bag, and made his way into the office. He tossed his bag to the ground by the chair on the other side of the principal's desk before settling down on the seat.

Sephiroth must have picked up on Cloud's resentment because he kept as neutral as possible as he took a seat on his own chair and straightened a couple of files sitting in front of him. "How have you been, Cloud?"

Cloud's eyes remained cold as they raked across Sephiroth's expression. His mouth was turned down in a frown and his jaw suggested that it was taking some form of self-restraint not to lash out at the principal for interfering in his life. Cloud kept the cold, stern expression and the principal wondered whether Cloud could control himself right now if he wasn't in such a defensive state.

Even so, Sephiroth couldn't allow the power to shift so suddenly so he folded his hands on his desk and leaned closer to the blond. "I asked you how you've been, Cloud. Is everything all right?" Cloud wasn't making it easy with the way he levelled the principal with his eyes.

"I assumed that was a rhetorical question…" Cloud answered, voice low and angry.

Sephiroth stared at the blond for a moment before straightening the files on his desk again. "No, it was a sincere question." he responded softly.

"Then I'm fine." Cloud answered bitterly. His eyes, although lowered slightly, kept a mean glare straight into the principal's.

The principal took a moment to himself to remain calm and not acknowledge of obvious argument the blond was trying to start up between them. He needed to remain cool, calm, and collected to accomplish what he was hoping to today. To be honest, he did feel a little bad for being the one responsible for what Cloud was being forced to do, especially so soon after finding a man who cared about him. After Cloud blacked out in his office, though, he knew it was something that needed to be done. That night, after Cloud left the hospital with Leon and Zell, Sephiroth went home and mindlessly wandered around his house, trying to squash the feelings of guilt he felt. The reason why Cloud went down that afternoon was because he was terrified of what Sephiroth was proposing to do and Sephiroth did it anyway. It needed to be done, he had convinced himself at that point, but that night he couldn't sleep as he tried to solidify the justification for making that call.

Now, with the new turn of events, he was sure it was the right call and in the end, it was what was best for Cloud.

Sephiroth licked his lips before opening up one of the two folders on his desk. He scanned the first page before looking up at Cloud. "I thought you might like to know what happened regarding the Children's Village Agency's interview with your mother."

Cloud paused for a moment and his heart skipped a few beats. Maybe, just _maybe_, everything was all right and he could go back home. Two problems: One; that joke was almost laughable. There was no way they would let him go back there. His mother wasn't that good at acting normal, sober or drunk. Two; even, in some bizarre world, if that were the case, he would actually need to go back home. He would have to move out, after a single night, from Leon's. That didn't sit right with him either.

"Let's not sit here and pretend like the hell I lived in was good enough for the damn agency." Cloud spat out sourly. "I know I'm not going back home."

And that confirmed everything in Sephiroth's heart, causing it to seize up in his chest. He knew Cloud's situation was bad, but after what the blond had just said, it must have been tragic. Cloud was aware that, even if his mother pretended to be a good mother, she wasn't getting him back. It made his stomach turn to think of what the blond must have gone through.

"They don't want to send you back home for your own safety." Sephiroth began to explain, ignoring how that one sentence caused the blond to roll his eyes and sit back in his chair defiantly. "They want to make sure you are safe and that isn't assured in your mother's home. They really do care-"

"They, they, they. Boo-hoo for me. Get to the point." Cloud interrupted with annoyance. "Why did you call me down here?"

Sephiroth bit his own tongue. He had no urge to snap at the blond or defend what was going on. He just wanted to help in any way he could. "It's not just them who care about you, Cloud. I-"

"Wanted to apologize?" Cloud interrupted once again.

"No, I don't feel like I should." the principal replied immediately. "I know what I did was the best thing I could have done for you. I care about what happens to you."

Cloud sighed heavily to himself and shook his head, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "Can you please just get to the point?"

"This meeting is about your new home and new school." Sephiroth explained evenly. He knew how irritated Cloud was and didn't blame him in the least. The best thing Sephiroth could do for him was make this as painless as possible. "Although the main details are undetermined, I wanted to get your input on your preferences. I want to know what you want."

"To stay here." Cloud answered. An anger was growing in his chest and Sephiroth was a perfect outlet for that. "I want to stay with my boyfriend. I don't want to have to wait until the weekend to see him. I don't want the damn phone to be the only means for us to communicate. I don't want to leave my friends. I don't-"

"Cloud…"

"What?!" He finally snapped. "You asked me what I want! I'm telling you what I want!" He couldn't help but yell at the principal. In his mind, this was all his fault to begin with. "Don't ask me what I want and expect me to paint a flowery picture of some fuckin' suburban lifestyle. I want to be with Leon!"

"Cloud, this is not permanent." The principal spoke with an even voice, calm enough to lower Cloud's. "You and Leon can make this work if you really want to. You can be together-"

"Yeah, yeah, when we graduate high school and get a place of our own. In the meantime tough luck, ya?" Cloud responded, his voice wavering slightly as reality began to sink in. He began losing control over his own composition. "We've been through this, him and I, and it doesn't help. I know I'm not going to lose him; I just don't want to be away from him. I love him."

"And I have no doubt that he loves you, Cloud." Sephiroth began before noticing the pain stricken expression crossing over the blond's face. He had no idea what he had just said, but something had made Cloud's defences go up tenfold. "Cloud?"

Cloud's eyes were focused on the files on the desk. He had effectively shut the principal out and wasn't hearing a word he was saying. His eyes scrutinized the files and he tried to peer through the folders to see what was inside. No doubt the details on his move, but he couldn't help but guess at the contents.

"Cloud?"

His voice sounded like it was coming from under water. No matter; it's not like Cloud cared to listen to him anyhow. He wondered what it said in those files, though. He must have been terrible if the principal had _two_ files on him. One for misconduct and one with details on where he was going, maybe. One for excusable misconducts and the other with teacher notes?

Sephiroth seemed to notice Cloud's apparent fascination with the folders on his desk. He closed the one file and tucked them both in a drawer to his left. It was obvious Cloud wasn't open to discuss his transfer any further at this moment. The time would come, he was sure. If it didn't then they would just have to decide themselves of what they thought was best for Cloud. A part of him wanted to tell Cloud the details he did know but he wasn't sure if it was his place. He decided to err on the side of caution and kept it to himself.

Cloud's eyes actively searched for something else to focus on once the files were put away. Sephiroth watched with a dull ache in his chest at how strict Cloud's defences were and decided to pry a little more.

"I suppose I can say it until I'm blue in the face and it still wouldn't mean anything to you." he began in a low voice. "Everything is going to be all right, Cloud. You'll just have to trust me, please, and afterwards you will be coming back to thank me."

Bright azure eyes flashed up with all the heat from hell. "Thank you?" the blond spat. Sephiroth cursed his poor choice of words. Something seemed to be bubbling up within Cloud and the principal braced himself for the brunt of Cloud's fury. "You actually think I'll be coming back to you and thanking you for ruining my fucking life?"

"I know what you're feeling right now-" Poor choice of words number two.

Cloud held up his hand to silence Sephiroth and his body began to quake with rage. "How the hell would you know what I'm feeling right now, huh?" The blond clutched the sides of the chair with his hands and sat forward. "You know nothing! You only did this to convince yourself that you're a good person. You are forcing me to move away from the only people in this world who give a fuck about me! You are making me live far away from the only person in this world I l-love…" The anger shook the blond's words and he couldn't help but stutter. His eyes filled with tears but he refused to let a single one fall. "I-I'd rather have my mother beat me to a bloody pulp every night and wake up in Leon's arms the next morning than to do this. I wish you would have just left me the fuck alone!"

Sephiroth listened carefully and patiently as Cloud screamed at him. He had to dance around a certain issue he wanted so desperately to talk to Cloud about but he knew he couldn't. Not right now. He needed to calm the blond down before it escalated any further. He wasn't going to reprimand Cloud for his behaviour right now because, in Sephiroth's eyes, he, himself, was playing the role of a friend. He had no desire to be Cloud's principal when the blond was hurting so badly.

"I was going to head out for some tea." Sephiroth started, eyes trained down on his desk avoiding Cloud's. "Will you join me? We can talk more about this or we can talk about whatever it is you want." He chose his words carefully in attempts to calm the blond down. "I'd like to hear what you have to say."

Cloud swallowed hard but it did nothing to rid of the disgusted look on his face. He missed Leon so damn much at the moment that the though of going anywhere was completely out of the question. He sat back in his chair and drew a deep breath, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. "I don't want to go anywhere with you." He allowed a moment for Sephiroth to absorb this before continuing. "I have limited time to spend with my boyfriend and my friends before I'm sent away, thanks to you."

Sephiroth nodded and looked up into the storm-filled eyes, which were much calmer than they had been. "I understand." He took a small breath before shaking his head. "I only wanted to protect you, Cloud. I wanted to help-"

"Thanks for nothing." Cloud spat back, obviously very irritated. He stood up from his chair and grabbed his bag. "I will never come back and thank you for how you've destroyed my life, so don't hold your breath." He began walking to the door, not looking back over his shoulder. "Enjoy your tea." he added just before the door closed behind him.

Sephiroth took a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly. He looked down at his desk before pulling the files back out from his drawer. He ran a hand down one before dropping it to the desk, looking at the other. He could have brought up the news he'd just learned but decided against it. It really wasn't his place. He shook his head and worried his lower lip before getting up from his chair. There was really nothing he could have said at the moment.

He filed the two folders in his cabinet before looking back at the door Cloud had just disappeared from; the blond's angry words echoing in his head.

-.-.-.-

Cloud knew he had to calm down. He was angry, but he had left the source of his anger behind and now he was on his way to join the people that were supposed to make him happy. With that thought, the blond took a deep, calming breath and was incredibly annoyed when it was interrupted by the sight of Tony.

Tony was down the hall, blending in with the mesh of students making their way to their next class. Tony hadn't noticed him and with the way he was feeling, he could do with some venting of this frustration and energy. He cracked his knuckles a couple of times before shaking his head at himself. Never before had he been the cause of a fight. And Leon wouldn't approve. Or _would_ he?

With another calming breath, Cloud shook his head at himself again and walked straight through the students in the direction of his next class. If Tony saw him, so be it. If Tony wanted to start a fight, fine.

The blond found himself a little disappointed when he made it to his next class unnoticed by his rival.

Tony then became the very last thing on his mind when he walked through the classroom door and found Leon already sitting at his desk. Stormy blue-gray eyes lifted and immediately began scanning the blond's face; searching. No doubt he didn't miss Cloud's page to the principal's office and he was probably wondering what happened.

Cloud dropped his bag by his seat and slumped onto his chair, offering the brunet a quick 'hello' smile as he began pulling out his textbook and binder.

"And?" Leon asked, eyes continually investigating the blond's cold expression. He knew it couldn't have been good. Cloud's defensive wall was back up and, although it didn't happen often, it didn't even lower for the brunet.

"And?" Cloud repeated, eyes glancing up at Leon momentarily before he flipped open his binder, looking for a fresh sheet of paper.

Leon licked his lips as his brow furrowed. He sat back more comfortably in his chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. His eyes dropped to his desk top before he looked back over at the blond.

Cloud was now busying himself with his pencil case, pulling out a pen before dropping the case back down into his bag. His eyes didn't even roam up to catch a quick glance before they focused on the board ahead. The brunet breathed in lightly, keeping it to himself, before licking his lips again. The blond was really concerning him but he was going to give him his own space. Prying would get him nowhere and, like the conclusion he came up with earlier that morning, Leon wanted to be Cloud's rock, not his therapist.

Class went by, long and boring, and Leon couldn't help but steal a glance every now and again; every time he found the blond rather focused on the lesson. It was such a dramatic change from the last class they had together. Still, he wanted to give Cloud the time he needed to… do whatever it was he needed to do.

When the bell rang to release them for lunch, Leon was relieved that Cloud waited for him by his desk after he packed up his belongings. Leon's eyes met baby blue for a brief moment before his heart returned to a normal pace.

"I'm famished." Cloud offered, his expression all too serious.

"Then let's get you something to eat." Leon offered coolly, gently taking Cloud's hand in his own before leading the blond out of the classroom. In all honesty, he was more relieved than he should have been that the blond took his hand willingly without reservation. He didn't know what he was expecting, but when whatever that was didn't happen, he allowed himself a mental sigh of relief.

The couple walked in silence to the cafeteria and chose their regular seats. The others hadn't arrived yet and the caf was just beginning to fill up with students. Leon's eyes watched Cloud as the blond unpacked his lunch and drove right into eating without uttering a single word or glancing up at his boyfriend. A million questions swirled around in the brunet's head but he chose to ignore them for the time being as Cloud seemed a little worked up about whatever it was he discussed with the principal.

It wasn't until Cloud looked up a few moments later before Leon began unpacking his lunch and tried to appear as though he wasn't pondering over the blond's abnormal mood. To be fair, he couldn't assume Cloud's current disposition was abnormal. The boy was going through a lot and he remembered how messed up his life felt when he was forced to do the same, but Leon had, for the most part, been able to make the blond smile again without too much effort.

Before he could put too much more thought into it, the rest of their friends showed up and plunked themselves down on either side of the table, Xander and Brantley obviously finishing up a banter they had started on their way to the caf.

Brad nodded in Leon and Cloud's general vicinity before unpacking his lunch and Eric had on a big smile, his eyes greeting them without words.

"I'm just saying, an egg couldn't have come before the chicken." Brantley argued, tossing a grape at Xander. "Who would have laid the egg in the first place?"

Xander rolled his eyes and shook his head. "And where did this supposed chicken come from that laid the egg?"

Brantley was silent for a second before shrugging. "Everything starts from something."

"Answer the question, dumbass." Xander fired with a chuckle.

"A chicken was just created, like the big bang theory, and it laid an egg which produced more chickens to lay eggs."

"Big bang theory?" Xander's brow furrowed. "You believe in that?"

"Not necessarily _the_ big bang theory, but something of that sort, yeah." Brantley said before taking his first bite.

Brad rubbed his forehead before dropping his fork and looked up at Leon and Cloud. "Believe it or not, they've been going at this since the lunch bell rang."

"I can believe it." Leon offered, offering a quick glance to Cloud before looking down at his food.

"What you are suggesting, then," Xander started up, a look of disgust on his face. "Is that a supposed _bang _created a chicken, who somehow conceived with itself and hatched another chicken, proceeded to mate with this chicken, created more chickens, who all mated with each other to create more eggs?"

Brantley crinkled his nose and chuckled. "That's exactly what I'm suggesting, sure."

Eric giggled and looked over at Leon and Cloud. "You two better hope Brantley's wrong. If the same theory applies to humans, then you two are brothers, or something…"

Cloud dropped his food and rubbed his eyes. "Eric… Gods…"

Leon pondered this for a second before shrugging. "I'm good with that."

The boys laughed, all but Brad and Leon, before Xander's eyes lit up.

"Oh! What did principal Sephiroth want to talk to you about?" he asked enthusiastically. Leon cringed slightly.

Cloud slowly chewed the food in his mouth and his eyes remained down at the table, casually, as if they were there for no particular reason. He gave a short shrug before looking back up at Xander.

"Nothing, really. Just logistics."

"Has he told you were you're going yet?" Brantley asked next, his playfulness melting away. He seemed to genuinely be interested in what was happening.

Cloud shook his head before taking another bite. He let his eyes dance over the table in front of him and could feel, very strongly, Leon's eyes bearing through his soul. He swallowed hard and took a sip from his water.

"I suppose this was just an introduction to the idea of me leaving." Cloud explained, tracing patterns in the condensation left on the table from his water bottle. "He asked if I wanted to know the results of the interview the Children's Village Agency had with my mother then asked if I had _preferences_ of where I wanted to go."

"What did he say about the interview?" Xander asked, eyes fiercely focused on Cloud's.

Cloud huffed and shook his head. "An unnecessary question, don't you think?"

Xander quirked his lips before tilting his head. "And did you give him a preference of where you wanted to go?"

Cloud looked back down at the table and drew a silent breath in. He had verbally attacked the principal instead of put too much thought into it. He knew Leon was still watching him very closely. Even if the brunet's eyes weren't on him, he knew that Leon would be paying very close attention to his reactions and words. To hell with it; Leon couldn't say anything about what the blond was feeling.

"I…" Cloud started before pausing. He shook his head before continuing. "I sort of exploded at him before he could get a word in edgewise."

There was a moment of silence at the table before Brad broke it.

"Exploded at him how?"

Cloud's eyes remained on the table and he tried to ignore the feeling of Leon absorbing everything. "I was angry. I got mad at him for interfering. I yelled… I don't know. I… just exploded."

There was a moment of silence as each boy thought about what Cloud had just said, listening to the playful banter of the other students surrounding them.

"It's not a big deal." Cloud finally continued. "I was just angry. I mean, I think I have the right to be, don't I?" He couldn't help but glance at Leon, who had stopped eating completely and was watching Cloud with seemingly indifferent eyes.

"I'm sure we can all agree that your anger wasn't uncalled for," Eric started slowly, eyes wandering over Cloud's features. "I'm just wondering whether it's directed at the right person." Cloud's eyes searched Eric's face and he couldn't help but feel defensive once again at what he was suggesting. Eric picked up on Cloud's sudden stoniness immediately and attempted to explain himself better. "What I mean is…" He paused and tilted his head, eyes softening as they looked into Cloud's. "_Why_ are you mad at principal Sephiroth?"

"That's an obvious question," Cloud started before Eric shook his head.

"Humour me, then."

"Because he called the agency who is now forcing me to move away." Cloud explained, as if he were speaking to a second grader.

"Why did the principal call the agency?" Eric asked. Cloud noticed Leon give Eric a short nod, as if he agreed with this mini-interrogation.

"I told him not to and he did it anyways." Cloud said, not being able to help the look of annoyance playing on his features. "That's reason enough to be pissed off, in my opinion."

Eric nodded with a soft smile. "I'm playing devil's advocate, here. Please, just answer my question. Why did the principal call the agency?"

Cloud sighed to himself and dropped his eyes to the table. It was much easier to think when he was focused on something other than the topic. "Because he saw my bruises. He knew I was… he knew… I wasn't happy at home."

Eric nodded and glanced up at Leon. Leon's eyes searched Eric's and they seemed to be inviting him to take over. Eric wanted Leon to be the one to help Cloud see. It was his right as the blond's boyfriend.

Leon nodded at Eric before leaning closer towards the table. "Why weren't you happy at home?" the brunet asked in a low, velvet voice. "Why did you have bruises?"

Cloud's browed creased when he realized that Leon was taking over. It somehow made his chest tighten painfully. He chose to remain quiet.

After a moment of silence, Leon continued. "Answer the question, Cloud."

"Because my mother!" Cloud almost shouted. "She… she's just so damn fucked up!"

Leon raised his eyebrows and nodded at the blond. "She is."

Cloud took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. He felt like he was almost shaking from the tension around the table right now, but when he looked up, he saw nothing but friendly eyes on him and genuine concern. His anger, like Eric suggested, was directed at the wrong person.

When that thought crossed his mind, Leon visibly relaxed as if he were able to read Cloud's thoughts. "Be angry if you're angry. I don't want you to feel like you need to hide your feelings, but be angry at the right person." Leon said, smooth voice touching Cloud deeply. "It was useless and dangerous to be angry at your mother, so you found the next link in this chain of events to be angry at. I'm sure Sephiroth had your best interest at heart. At least recognize that much."

Cloud's eyes remained on the table as Leon spoke. He felt bad about his previous conversation with the principal and felt the need to apologize. Sephiroth wasn't the reason why he was being forced to move. He didn't intend to separate him and Leon. He was only worried about Cloud's safety and the fact that he was willing to do something so drastic when Cloud explicitly told him not to showed him that he really did care. Cloud was really only angry at his mother for ruining his life.

"I'm such an asshole…" Cloud said in a weak voice, rubbing his eyes.

Xander chuckled and wrapped an arm around the blond's shoulder, batting the blond's hand away from his eyes. "But you're _our_ asshole."

"You've just been through a lot." Eric corrected Xander's previous statement with a playful grin. "No one is holding anything against you, Cloud. It can't be easy going through what you are going through."

"We just have to look at the good as well as the bad." Brantley offered, his smile seeming less mischievous than normal.

Not quite sure where it was coming from, Cloud felt like he had a surge of energy. He stretched his legs under the table and bit his lower lip. Maybe it was just all the anxiety building up and needing a release. Maybe it was an excuse to get out of there and away from such heavy conversation; Cloud didn't know why, but he felt like he could run a marathon, win, and have enough energy left over to do it again.

"You okay?" Brantley asked, noticing Cloud shifting in his seat.

Cloud nodded with a feigned smile and sighed. "I just have a lot of energy right now."

"Good thing we have gym today, then." Brad offered, his voice even and low. "You can burn off that energy."

Cloud frowned and looked down at the table once again. "Gym; Tony has that with us, too."

"Who cares about that prick?" Xander asked, seemingly offended to simply hear that name.

"Something's going on and it doesn't sit right with me." Cloud explained, eyes glancing up at Xander. "Something's wrong."

"How so?" Brad asked.

"The way he looks at Cloud now." Brantley offered to answer. When Cloud didn't continue, he filled the rest in. "There's something different. He… it's like he still has feelings for him but is so wrapped up in pretending he hates him that it's making him crazy."

Leon's eyes travelled from Brantley to Cloud then over to a table in the distance. Cloud's eyes locked on Leon's jaded expression before he shook his head. "It's fine; don't worry about him." the blond offered, earning a quick glance from the brunet in his direction before blue-gray eyes wandered over to the other table again. "I mean it." Cloud said sharply, snapping his fingers in Leon's line of sight to distract him. "_We're_ not starting anything unless he forces our hand. I don't give a shit about what he feels for me and neither should you."

Leon watched the blond in silence. He was hearing every word Cloud was saying but both knew that it made no difference. Tony was going to have to tread lightly and, unfortunately for him, he didn't even know it.

-o-o-o-

Leave a review, if you'd be so kind? Thanksies!


	27. Chapter 25

A/N: Wow, for a chapter I had planned out so precisely, it sure took a while to actually write it. I truly do appreciate the reviews and it makes me so happy that people are still finding this story. Thank you, new readers, for taking the time to catch up! Thank you, old readers, for being so patient with me. Thank you, to everyone, for all of your support. I feel so much love right now.

I hope you enjoy!

XoXo

-o-o-o-

Cloud was all too happy to make his way to the gym. His energy hadn't dipped since he felt the surge at lunch and he was really looking forward to burning it off before he drove himself insane. Where it came from, it was hard to pinpoint. He was still worked up over the conversation at lunch, his friends' strength giving him strength. It could have been that, or maybe it was Cloud' restless body trying to fight off the anxiety he felt over this life change that was about to occur.

It could have just as well been caused from his overly-alighted excitement that Leon was his and he had given himself to the man of his dreams the night before. He could understand why people joked around about people being extra chipper the morning after sex. He now could say he understood it well.

More than likely, though, it was all of the above together. There was so much going on in Cloud's life that each possible explanation probably pooled together and formed a ball of energy Cloud was just dying to deplete before he started buzzing around the room like a bee after honey.

Brantley and Xander were at the lockers they usually occupied in the men's change room adjacent to the gym when Cloud came buzzing in. With a quick smile as a greeting, Cloud tossed his gym bag to the floor and pulled off his shirt.

"You're going to really love this." Xander said to the blond, pulling up his gym pants. "You still look like you're wired."

"I am." Cloud responded monotonously, pulling open his gym bag just as Leon and Brad joined them at the bench separating the two rows of lockers. The blond glanced up at the two boys who just entered and immediately felt himself flush. _Not now, you hormone-driven bastard…_ Cloud scolded himself with a shake of the head.

His blush didn't go unnoticed by Leon, who narrowed his eyes at the blond before pulling off his own shirt. Cloud couldn't help but check out his own boyfriend, something else that didn't go unnoticed by the brunet.

"Are you blushing?" Brantley asked Cloud, a devilish smirk prominent on his lips. "You are, aren't you?"

"Fuck off…" Cloud offered with an embarrassed smile, making quick work of exchanging his cargo jeans for his track pants.

"Oh my Gods," Brantley continued. "Just because you guys are _doing it_ now, doesn't mean you have to blush every time Leon shows a little skin, huh?"

Cloud blush darkened and he couldn't help but search Leon for a reaction, seeing nothing but his normal indifferent disposition. That didn't mean Leon didn't want to have fun with it, though.

Leon raised his eyebrows and tilted his head the way only he could. "Who me?" he asked the blond, lowering his hands to his belt and slowly began unfastening it.

Cloud's eyes darted up to meet almost amused looking blue-gray. "What are you doing?" the blond asked, furrowing his brows.

"Changing for gym," Leon answered innocently, hands leisurely running over his waist before creeping to his jean buttons and fly. "Can't do obstacle courses in jeans, now, can we?" He slowly unfastened his buttons before unzipping his fly. Using one lingering hand, he opened his fly to expose the waistband of his boxers before shifting his weight to one foot, looking as though he was posing for a racy magazine.

"Stop that…" Cloud said under his breath, turning his back to his taunting boyfriend and friends. "Get changed; behave…" It was difficult to urge his blush away when he could hear the other boys chuckle at Leon's display.

"Why are you turning away from me, Cloud?" Leon asked. "Don't you love me anymore? Don't you find me sexy?"

"Oh Gods…" Brantley chuckled, now focusing on changing his own clothes. Brad paid little attention to Leon's game and Xander was still watching with a silly grin, having already changed himself.

Cloud pulled on his shirt and turned around to face the object of all his love, devotion, and lust. "Get changed." he replied, voice holding playful authority and minor embarrassment.

"You didn't answer me, babe." Leon said, shaking his head as he started towards Cloud. "I asked you if you find me sexy."

Cloud didn't need to answer verbally for it to be obvious. His eyes began to burn with a desire not well hidden by inhibitions and he felt his mouth begin to dry. "Get changed." he answered again, not submitting to Leon's little game.

Leon's eyes began to swirl with a storm. They had played a rather intense teasing game this morning and Leon was looking for victory number two when it came to who had the last laugh. He knew he had the blond eating out of the palm of his hand by the way he was looking at him and he decided to take it one step further. Curious eyes of the other students they had gym with didn't deter him.

"I asked you…" he started, standing directly in front of his boyfriend. "If you… find me…" He took Cloud's hand in his own and placed the blond's palm against his hard, flat stomach. "Sexy…"

Cloud swallowed hard and took a deep breath before his eyes dropped down to his hand on tanned, warm skin. Yeah, Leon had him on this one... He was going down swinging, though.

Cloud clenched his jaw before taking a step towards his boyfriend, not caring that his friends and school mates were watching; some curious, some laughing, some disgusted. "_I_ said…" Cloud started, piercing eyes penetrating Leon's. "Get… _changed_…" With that, he lowered himself to his knees and slowly pulled the brunet's pants down with him. "Or do you need my help with that?" He added, looking up at his boyfriend, licking his lips suggestively.

Leon's eyes narrowed as he looked down at his boyfriend. Cloud was playing a dangerous game of sex-chicken. Leon hated to lose.

"I think I may need help with… _that_." the brunet responded, eyes flickering to his crotch as he spoke the word 'that'.

"Uh, guys?" Xander chimed in with a nervous chuckle. "Should I be clearing out the change room?"

Both Cloud and Leon glanced over at Xander before their eyes met in challenge once more. Something else caught Cloud's eye, though, and his attention once again left Leon as he met eyes with a crestfallen Tony.

Cloud's heart jumped into his throat as the got up off the floor to his feet, causing Leon to glance back to find out why Cloud's whole demeanour had changed. Leon's eyes narrowed, presumably angrily this time, at Tony who was still watching Cloud with dejected eyes. Tony blinked a couple of times as Cloud hurried to throw is bag in his locker before locking it up. Leon glanced back at Cloud before his eyes travelled back to Tony, a motion that caught Tony's attention. Tony must have realized how obvious he was being as he quickly replaced his expression with one of anger and hate before storming off to his own gym locker.

Cloud watched Tony's sudden transformation before he looked over at his friends, who looked on guard to act if anything might have come out of Tony's sudden appearance. For that, he was grateful and sighed to himself, relieved that it didn't come to that. One by one, their glares at Tony softened as they diverted their attention back to the blond; Brad with a stoic, unreadable expression and Brantley and Xander with small smiles. His heart ached at the thought of leaving these guys.

His eyes then wandered to Leon, who was finishing changing into his gym clothes, almost acting like nothing happened. Really, nothing did happen but Cloud's mind was still a little jumbled, going from a sexually suggestive game with Leon to defensive, on guard when he noticed Tony watching him. His heart clenched at the ruined careless fun they were just having, knowing that they wouldn't be getting too many more opportunities to do such things after he moved away.

And like clockwork, Cloud felt a chill run through his body before he felt almost numb. He wasn't so sure why he felt defensive at the moment, but he knew that his wall had just risen. Against Tony, maybe, but he felt it strongly at the thought of leaving his boyfriend behind; not being able to see him, which hurt even more now that they had opened up their relationship to a physical level.

Cloud clenched his jaw and tried to appear as normal as possible but he felt cold, distant, and his energy level spiked. He flexed his biceps and rolled his shoulders while trying not to frown. He felt closed off. He felt removed.

"You okay?" Xander's voice came as a soft, quiet whisper. Cloud didn't notice the boy pull up close to him.

Cloud's unresponsive eyes met Xander's, his jaded expression causing Xander to furrow his brow.

"I'm fine," Cloud offered, his voice low enough so only Xander could hear.

Xander searched Cloud's eyes for a moment and was about to say something before the blond walked away, leaving Xander no choice but to drop the subject. The less Xander said about Cloud's sudden mood change, the better for Cloud. The blond didn't want his friend drawing attention to his unexpected defensiveness.

Cloud moved past his friends and Leon without saying another word and left the change room through a door adjacent to the gym. Leon watched Cloud leave before looking over at Brantley, who seemed just as confused as the brunet. Knowing he wouldn't learn anything from him, Leon's eyes swiftly focused on Xander next, who was staring at the door Cloud just disappear through with a look of blended uncertainty and sadness.

Leon's eyes stayed on Xander, catching Brad and Brantley's attention, as Xander realized that Leon was waiting for an explanation. He diverted his eyes to the ground before closing his locker, trying to avoid Leon's eyes.

Brantley glanced back at Brad before looking at Xander. "What did he say, man?"

"Nothing," Xander answered, eyes still avoiding those of the others.

Leon locked his locker, eyes still bearing into Xander. "You know something we don't, though."

Xander chanced a look at Leon but couldn't hold Leon's stare, dropping his eyes back to the ground. "I don't know what's going on."

Leon narrowed his eyes before glancing at Brad and Brantley once more. He sighed evenly before following the blond out of the change room.

Cloud was already into his stretches by the time Leon caught up to him. Leon stood next to the blond, who was preoccupied with squats and not offering a sign of recognition that the brunet was there. It didn't take words, though, for the brunet to notice that something was off. Cloud's eyes looked dull and dead as they focused on a spot on the floor a couple of feet in front of him. His eyes looked very much like they did the night he brought the blond home with him after his mother attacked him.

"What's bothering you?" Leon asked lowly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Cloud remained quiet, exhaling as he lowered himself into another squat.

Leon's eyes scanned over the blond's face again. "I asked you what's bothering you." he restated, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"Nothing," Cloud responded, his eyes flickering from his spot on the floor to Leon then back to the floor.

The other boys joined the couple but remained quiet. Brad and Brantley watched the blond as he quickened the pace of his squats. Xander looked as though he wanted to say something but opted to let Leon take care of things.

"Do you want to skip gym? We can go talk somewhere." Leon offered, eyes staying on the blond intently.

"Don't wanna skip gym." Cloud answered coolly. "Way too much energy to skip gym."

Leon's brow creased at Cloud's response. There was something about the blond's tone and choice of words that confirmed that something was definitely off. He began to say something more to convince the blond to leave this class with him before a few loud, obnoxious students left the change room, momentarily stealing the attention of their small group. Leon was the first to recover as he looked back at the blond, whose eyes shifted from the loud students, to Leon's eyes, then back to the floor again.

"Cloud," Leon started. Cloud abruptly stopped his squats and raised his eyebrows.

"I'm fine. Let it go."

Leon clenched his jaw at Cloud's icy response and he debated with himself for a few fleeting seconds whether he was going to protest Cloud's use of the words 'I'm fine'. He decided to leave it be, but really had no choice as Cloud turned his back and began stretching his arms.

Leon couldn't help but notice how Cloud threw himself into the physical activities during gym. He kept up himself, but one eye was always on the hyper blond as he lost himself in movements and his actions as he participated in the class' activities. He noted the blond's pace pick up particularly the second Tony came out of the change rooms but it was either a coincidence or the blond was merely trying to distract himself.

The brunet also couldn't help but notice Tony acting as though he didn't notice the blond, though a stolen glance was taken every now and again as the bully took bearing as to the blond's whereabouts. He wanted to avoid him or was looking for a chance to get closer, but Leon made sure nothing came of it as he stayed close to his still-stoic boyfriend.

What caused the sudden change in Cloud was still a mystery to Leon, but now was neither the time nor place to continue his mini-interrogation to excavate the meaning behind Cloud's sudden mood swing. He was sure Tony was the catalyst, but Cloud was seemingly indifferent to Tony's presence and the brunet began to wonder exactly what was going on inside that head of his.

Cloud seemed to have endless energy as he kept moving and performing during gym. Leon kept up, but others began to show signs of weariness as they wiped the sweat from their brows. Xander watched his friend from a short distance with sad eyes. He knew Cloud had energy, but something was almost mechanical with the way Cloud was pushing himself. Soft blond locks began to stick to Cloud's forehead at the first moment of fatigue but he ignored it as he continued to race through the obstacle course. Xander felt his muscles protest at the constant motion and opted to give them a rest and watch as Leon and Cloud continued, the brunet trailing the blond, through the web of rope.

"What's really going on?" Brantley asked Xander from behind, his breath heavy with exertion.

Xander's eyes met Brantley's briefly before going back to watch Cloud again. "He has so much energy." he commented generally, hoping that Brantley wouldn't continue with where he was going.

"I mean with the sudden change of mood." Ever the indomitable investigator. "One second he's about to go down on his boyfriend in front of everyone; the next he's avoiding us all, including Leon, looking like he's… like Leon. Jaded."

Xander frowned slightly and shook his head. "I only asked him if he was all right. He brushed the question off then walked away." Xander explained. "I don't know too much more than you, other than I saw the change happen." Xander's eyes met Brantley's once more. "It was like watching all feelings drain from his face and all colour drain from his eyes. I think he closed himself off."

"Do you think it was because Tony walked in the room?" Brantley asked before shaking his head. "That fuckin' asshole…"

"Maybe…" Xander replied, once again watching Cloud throw himself through the course without hesitation. "It just worries me that he's pushing us away, too. Us and _Leon_…"

Brantley nodded as his eyes travelled towards said blond with Leon close behind him. "He's tough, but I worry about how fragile he is on the inside." He sighed softly to himself before shaking his head once again. "How can he not be, with the life he's lived?"

It was Xander's turn to sigh. "That's why he's being sent… away…"

Both Xander and Brantley looked at one another with a moment's realization. It was the only reasonable conclusion they could come up with; one they came up with at the same time, but independently.

"He's trying to push us away."

"To make it easier for himself." Xander concluded.

Brantley's eyes grew grave. "Detaching himself from us… to break ties?"

Xander frowned and turned back to watch the energetic blond. He was increasing the distance between a now weary Leon and himself. "He's used to being alone. I don't think he knows how to handle close relationships like this, especially when things get tough."

Leon finally gave up. He'd been trailing Cloud for almost a half an hour now as the blond raced through the obstacle course over and over again. The brunet had stamina, but it was no match against Cloud's apparent endless energy, driven by despair and whatever else was going on inside of him. A part of him wanted to keep going but another part felt as though Cloud was trying to get away from him. As much as he wanted to follow, if only for moral support, Leon thought he would give Cloud his space just in case that's what the blond wanted. He didn't want to push himself on Cloud uninvited.

He jumped off from the bar hoisted eight feet above the gym floor. His eyes immediately found Cloud, now far ahead of him, with his unfaltering vigour.

-.-.-.-

_Is he still behind me?_ Cloud stole a quick glance behind himself and found that the brunet was a few feet behind him, following him like an obedient dog. After this bizarre game of follow-the-leader began, Cloud gave Leon ample opportunities to pass him but the brunet slowed his pace to maintain his position at Cloud's rear flank. Leon could have easily passed him without the blond slowing down, but he seemed to be controlling his speed to keep at bay. When it was obvious that Leon had no intentions of passing him, Cloud picked up his pace and continued through the obstacle course in attempts to burn off this excess energy that seemed to be coming out of nowhere.

About a half an hour later, Cloud glanced back as he'd done several times before and found that Leon was no longer behind him. A second's hesitation was all it took for Cloud to see Leon drop to the floor gracefully before a flare of anger burned in his heart, giving birth to a burst of energy coursing through his body.

It never occurred to Cloud to think about what was going on inside his head; he was much too lost in emotions. Much too lost that it almost made him numb. One could argue that numbness is the lack of feelings, but for Cloud it was the opposite; it was the overwhelming of emotions that brought upon this deadening of reaction. His emotions were running the show, yet he wasn't able to express how he felt.

Instead, he focused on the course ahead, his arms and legs beginning to throb from over-exertion but he was unwilling to give in. No, if Leon wouldn't follow him longer than that then he would just have to keep going by himself. Before he realized it, a tear was threatening to spill from his eye. He chanced a wipe with his hand as he leapt across a void onto a platform, regaining his balance and took off running to the ropes, tearless.

He didn't actually think Leon would give up on him but him running the course alone, passing other students who struggled with it a little more, showed that Leon was around for awhile, but not forever. Leon quit when he got sick of trailing Cloud. He got bored from the same ol', same ol' as they looped the course seven, eight times and left Cloud alone. Wasn't he worth following? Wasn't he worth the extra work, just so they could be together?

Apparently not.

Cloud clenched his jaw as he swung across the ropes, landing on his feet on the gym floor, before circling back to start the course yet again. The more Cloud thought about it, the angrier he got. How dare Leon get involved with someone, find out that someone has to move away, yet still take his virginity only to jump ship once things got a little difficult. Cloud felt used. He felt dirty. He felt… _guilty_. He had wanted this too, but why wouldn't Leon keep following him? How long after he moved to Gods-knows-where would it take before Leon stopped calling him?

His chest heaved before he was able to regain control. It felt like his chest was trying to collapse and crush his heart, but the blond ignored that as he climbed up a rope to the highest balance beam.

"Gonna slow down there any time soon?" came a voice up above. Cloud glanced up to see Brad's face peering down at him with a friendly grin. He dropped a hand, offing to help the blond up.

"I'm just getting started." Cloud huffed, declining the help as he pulled himself up to the beam. "Everyone's quitting on me here."

"That's because it appears as though you've been hit with a berserk spell." Brad said easily, grabbing Cloud by the arm to stop him from continuing on. "Come on, you're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm fine." was the only response, the blond attempting to take a step away but Brad held onto his arm tight.

"I know you're fine, Cloud." Brad said, his voice growing slightly concerned. "But you'll end up hurting yourself if you push yourself too hard. Come down with me; the others are waiting."

Cloud glanced down to the ground to find Leon, Xander, and Brantley staring up at him. Brantley and Xander both wore expressions that were both concerned and anxious whereas Leon's expression was blank, jaded; almost vacant. Cloud clenched his jaw as his eyes met with Leon's, a sense of betrayal growing in his chest for a reason he couldn't readily recall. A part of him wanted to leap from the high beam and fall into Leon's arms, to be wrapped by his boyfriend's warmth and scent. Another part of him wanted to keep going, to burn off this energy that seemed to be growing twice as fast as it was being spent. Yet another part of him sang mockingly at him.

_He will never looove you. He will never looove you…_

"Fuck them…" Cloud said bitterly, eyes leaving those below to stare ahead at the course. "And fuck you." Cloud yanked his arm from Brad's grip before rolling his shoulders. "I don't need to be babysat. I can take care of myself." With that, the blond took off across the high beam then leap onto the next part of the platform.

-.-.-.-

Everyone in their small group was uncommonly quiet in the change room as they quickly showered and changed into their own clothes for end of day. Chitter-chatter buzzed around them from the other students and no one missed Tony's sideways glances at the blond as he changed. Xander, Brantley, and Brad said their goodbyes as they all left the change room to pack their bags at their own lockers, leaving Leon and Cloud to walk the halls alone. They made their way to their lockers before Leon decided to try and break the ice.

"Did you burn off all that extra energy you had?" Lame, yes, but it did its job. Cloud slammed his locker shut a little harder than he had meant to but didn't react. Leon's eyes looked from the locker to Cloud before his creased his brow. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing," Cloud responded dully, slinging his bag over his shoulder. There was another moment of silence before Cloud led the way out of the school.

"If nothing's bothering you, why did your whole manner change so suddenly?"

"I had energy. I wanted to burn it off." Cloud replied, his voice sounding slightly irritated. "What's with the interrogation? Should I have checked in with you before taking off? Do I need to keep you apprised of my intentions at all times?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Leon responded, grabbing Cloud's arm and turning him to face him. "Where is this coming from? I never said that."

Cloud attempted to remove his arm from Leon's grasp but failed. "Then what's with the twenty questions? I was just killing off some energy!" The blond's voice was getting louder, angrier. He twisted his arm again but couldn't shake off Leon's grip. "Let go of me!" he snapped.

Leon's eyes shifted from indifferent to something else that caught Cloud's attention; something sad, like they were when Leon discovered the bruise across his back. The brunet dropped his hand, releasing his boyfriend and took a step back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" he paused and shook his head. "Did I hurt you?"

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "You weren't holding on that hard."

"I mean, did I hurt you earlier." Leon said, shaking his head, looking straight into Cloud's eyes. "Are you upset because something I said or did?"

"Why am I upset all of a sudden?" Cloud asked, the irritation returning in his tone. "I was _fine_, I am _fine_. I was… Geez!" Cloud took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. "I was just burning off energy. Why are so you concerned about that?"

Leon remained quiet for another moment before he started walking towards the exit. Cloud followed him, a few paces behind, still fuming for an unknown reason. All he did know was that he was pissed. He wasn't certain he was pissed at Leon, but he was definitely irritated by explaining that he was simply burning off energy over and over again. He was pissed at Brad for stopping him at the obstacle course and suggesting that he stop before he hurt himself; like he was a child in need of a guardian to ensure he didn't do something stupid. He was pissed at Xander and Brantley because… because…

_They'll move on after you leave. 'Strife? I don't remember a Strife.'_

He was pissed at the others because they were associated with Leon and Brad. Was that reason enough?

_No, you'll have to come up with something better than that. Keep working on it._

All he knew was that things would be far simpler if he hadn't gone and formed close relationships before he was being forced to move. It would have been far too easy to leave his mother's house if he didn't have friends who cared about him, who told him they loved him, to leave behind. It would have been easy to leave if there wasn't a boyfriend in the picture, someone he was head over heals for, someone who showed him that love can be shown in so many more ways than those three stupid words…

_But he doesn't believe in love. He doesn't love you; get over yourself._

Finally, Leon broke the silence as well as the inner conflict Cloud was having with himself.

"I'm sorry…" he started, reaching out his hand to his boyfriend as though he were presenting a peace offering. "I worry about you and after that brief encounter with Tony in the change room… I just didn't understand why you changed after that. I'm sorry I pushed you to talk to me when you just wanted to burn off energy."

Cloud looked down at Leon's hand then back up to his eyes. He reached out his hand and felt a mix of relief and grief as Leon's hand closed around his. He chose to remain silent, but Leon had other plans.

"When I worry about you like that, I feel the need to understand what you're feeling. I wanted to know what you were feeling at that moment but you were closed off, which is all right, that's your choice, it just made me worry more."

Cloud huffed.

Leon's eyes darted up to Cloud's face.

"What was that?"

Cloud smiled a poisonous smile and shook his head, looking down to the ground. "You wanted to know how I was _feeling_?"

"Yeah…" Leon answered cautiously, trying to get a read on what that less-than-happy smile meant.

"Not knowing how I was _feeling_ worried you when you didn't understand why my mood had changed so suddenly?"

"It did," Leon answered, unaware that their pace had slowed considerably.

"Hmm…" Cloud's eyes pierced through Leon. "I can understand that." Leon chose not to respond as he watched his boyfriend think for a second before continuing. "I can never get a read on your _feelings_, either. I'm sorry, that's me assuming something. Do you have _feelings_ at all?" Leon stopped walking, his eyes fixed on Cloud's face before the blond continued. "It worries you so damn much when you don't know how I'm _feeling_ but you go on hiding your own, assuming you have feelings. I've never seen you smile, I've never heard you laugh, I've never seen you cry, I've never seen you goof off; and you're concerned when I hide my own feelings for one hour?"

"Cloud, I…" but he was interrupted.

"Let me finish." All of a sudden holding hands felt awkward. "I can understand why it was necessary for you to hide your feelings before. You've been through some pretty rough shit yourself, but why is it still essential that you don't show _me_, of all the people in the world, what you're really _feeling_? You tell me you're happy, you tell me that everything is _a-okay_ and I believe you because I have no other choice in the matter." He wanted to let go of Leon's hand but a part of him was clinging onto it for dear life. "I want to hear my boyfriend laugh. I want my boyfriend to smile at me after we make love." Cloud paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, I forgot. You don't believe in _love_."

"We've been through this, Cloud." Leon started but didn't continue fast enough before Cloud continued for him.

"Yes, we've been through this. Several times. I'm okay with you not believing in love because I know you care about me, but sometimes I just want to be loved. Sometimes I just want to know that someone out there," he waved his hand towards the sky, "someone out there loves me."

"Then you're not okay with me not believing in love." Leon paraphrased, eyes sharp as a knife. His heart pounded in his chest and it felt like a hurricane was going to town on his insides. He was panicking. On the outside, Cloud would never guess what he was feeling, but on the inside, Leon was desperately trying to make this right. He didn't know how to handle such a strong emotion. Cloud was an energy source that had total control over his feelings and it terrified him that the blond was upset at him. He dreaded what Cloud might respond with and he felt his eyes prick with the first signs of tears. He held back his emotions and breath, hoping to deter the wave of feeling he was experiencing right now.

"Leon, I love you. I can't help that." Cloud began. Leon braced himself internally. His heart was still pounding and he wasn't sure if he could handle it if the blond said something to the effect that this relationship wouldn't work. How did Cloud have so much power over him? How did Leon let it happen? Why did it seem as though Cloud was his life source? What did this all mean? He watched Cloud's face, his chest tightening, as the blond continued. He was still panicking.

"You told me the morning before we got together that you didn't believe in love. I have to admit, that was a huge shock, but it's not something I thought was going to be a problem because, one: you told me _before_ we got together, and two: I didn't realize how hard my life would get afterwards." Cloud took a deep breath then looked down to the ground. "You said love was _cliché_. You said love was a euphoria that didn't exist and that people worked hard to look for something that was as close to that euphoria you see in the movies and just settle on that someone." He bit his lower lip. "You think people settle for something close to love, but it's not love." He looked up, straight into Leon's eyes. "Did you just _settle_ on me?" His voice was low and would have cracked if he were speaking louder. It was full of hurt and anguish with the accusation that Leon wasn't completely happy with him.

Leon's eyes remained staring into Cloud's, a familiar storm brewing deep inside but for what purpose, Cloud could only guess at. Leon remained silent as his heart threatened to beat straight out of his chest. He couldn't argue his stance to Cloud because what the blond was saying was completely accurate. Those were the words Leon spoke the morning just before they got together and those are the beliefs he had held on to for so many years. He understood the logic, he believed in it blindly, and still held on to them as he watched his boyfriend struggle with it. Today something felt different, though. He couldn't explain what he felt when he was with Cloud. He couldn't explain the power the blond wielded over him. He couldn't understand what was happening to him, even physically, when the blond stepped in the room, held his hand, laughed, cried, or kissed him. His body felt like it was exploding with happiness and… something else.

He didn't feel like he was just _settling_ on Cloud. Cloud was a perfect surprise that threw a wrench in all his beliefs he clung on to for so many years, yet he was reluctant to just let them go. This surprise wasn't a bad thing, either. Scary, yes; terrifying even, but such a satisfying surprise like a breath of fresh, clean air after holding your breath under water for longer than you thought possible. He wasn't just _settling_ for Cloud because to think of his life without Cloud, his perfect ray of sunshine, was frightening. If Cloud told him that they should part ways he would collapse on himself and die of grief. He wasn't just _settling_ on Cloud because the way the blond made him feel was so much more than he'd ever thought possible.

He was more than he could have asked for and the way he was looking at him at that very moment stole his breath away. Blond hair shone in the sunlight and big blue eyes were crystal-like as they reflected the same light, pronounced by the unshed tears the blond was holding back. Leon's breath became shallow as he watched his boyfriend wait for an answer.

_Is this love?_

But something inside Leon struggled against the emotions he was feeling and held on tight.

_Don't be an idiot. Love doesn't exist, so don't set yourself up for disappointment._

"Cloud," Leon started, his voice low and unstable.

Cloud waited for Leon to continue but was met only with more silence.

_Tell Cloud that you love him._

Leon shook his head and rubbed his eyes with one hand, the other shaking as it held Cloud's.

Cloud took in a deep breath and nodded his head. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

With that, he let go of Leon's hand and started walking back to their house.

"I-I want to talk about this." Leon said with a stutter, his heart beating wildly within his chest.

Cloud glanced back and nodded his head. "Just let me think for a little while. We'll talk about this later."

-o-o-o-

Oh noes… :o


	28. Chapter 26

A/N: It seems to be becoming a habit for me to apologize during these author notes and this one won't be any exception. I hit a pretty bad case of writers' block once I moved into my own apartment and that stalled the completion of this chapter. I'm hoping to find my groove again soon.

That being said, here's the next chapter. Usual warnings apply; this chapter is not work safe.

I wanted to share something very special with you guys! A friend of mine, **Sofia**, has posted a picture created with inspiration from Salacity on her deviantART page! XD A link to the picture can be found on my profile page. Please go check it out? Thank you, **Sofia**, for this wonderful gift. I love it to death! XoXo

Please enjoy! :o)

-o-o-o-

It was a very silent, tense walk home as Leon and Cloud's heads swirled with the conversation they'd just had. What started as a great day turned into a catastrophe as both boys struggled to get a grip on their most intimate emotions; neither of which was having much success.

Leon couldn't help but berate himself internally for hurting Cloud like he was sure he'd just done. Aside from not being able to figure out what exactly it was he was feeling, his silence probably falsely confirmed something Cloud was trying to understand.

"_Did you just _settle_ on me?"_

Leon let his eyes close as he recalled the pain in Cloud's voice as he asked him that question and the hurt, insecure expression across his features. The blond took his silence as confirmation and probably thought Leon was too afraid of saying it out loud. If only he knew the inner conflict Leon was having with himself. Leon knew he didn't just _settle_ on Cloud; it felt far from it, but when trying to figure out what exactly it was he felt… If only Cloud could hear his thoughts. He would understand then, but because Leon was not the most successful person at expressing his feelings, the misunderstanding struck like a sledgehammer at their relationship.

Cloud still felt numb from the day's events. Not a whole lot had happened that couldn't be summed up as him trying to process and protect himself from what was inevitably coming up in his life. He was mildly aware that his wall was up again, but all of his actions, his words, to his friends and Leon were justified under their cover; the true purpose and his intent buried deep inside the blond's psyche. He didn't have the mental energy to try and think it all through. He just acted and the ruse his mind had built up for him was working.

Although unaware of what he was actually doing, one thing was clear as day, if only for him: Leon wasn't happy with him. He expected a long-winded explanation and rebuttal when he asked Leon if he was just settling on him, but when nothing came, his worst fears were confirmed for him. Although he was deeply hurt by the silent admission, in a way, he was bitterly glad that he was finding this out now before he got more emotionally involved.

Cloud shook his head at himself. _More emotionally involved?_ The way he felt about Leon, he couldn't _be_ more emotionally involved. This was a disaster. If he had only stopped to think about it all before he and Leon got involved he could have spared himself and Leon the pain of the separation. The clues were all there; Cloud coming to school with bruises, tired from a sleepless night before, teachers beginning to talk to him about it, and the principal's enquiries, they all should have led him to the intuition that him getting sent away was more than likely on the horizon. It should have stopped him from becoming closer to his friends and, most importantly, it should have halted his nose-dive into a relationship with someone he ended up falling in love with.

The blond didn't doubt Leon when he told him that Cloud's leaving wouldn't signal the end of their relationship but he couldn't help but wonder how soon after his departure would it all come crashing down. Cloud would have to be gone for more than a year before he could legally be out on his own; would Leon be willing to wait that long? What would transpire between now and then which could threaten their devotion to one another? Leon was gorgeous, he turned heads, and his attitude was that of someone well beyond his age, so what was stopping someone else from swooping in and offering him a relationship which didn't solely rely on phone calls and weekend visits?

Cloud's insecurity throbbed in his chest as he continued to walk home. He felt a little awkward for being in such a state of turmoil while heading to the home Zell and Leon had offered him before he was forced upon someone else. This was Leon's home and here he was, upset and angry and travelling home with him so that Leon could not escape his ill mood. The thought made him feel guilty and he started to wonder whether he really should be imposing himself on Leon right now. Maybe he should just not go home, wander around for a bit to give Leon a chance to think freely. With that he glanced back at Leon and was almost startled to find the brunet a few paces behind, eyes trained on the ground with a look of utter agony. Otherwise, his expression offered nothing short of indifference, but Cloud knew from his eyes alone that Leon was suffering with the outcome of the conversation that had just occurred.

Before Cloud could turn away, Leon's eyes rose heavily to meet his own, the blue-gray swirling with emotions Cloud couldn't decipher. He was able to translate hurt, uneasiness, and dread, but the over-riding emotion that created the platform for these feelings was a mystery to the blond. He found himself searching Leon's eyes longer than he had intended to but he was unable to look away. His pace slowed slightly, a response to wanting Leon to walk at his side, but the brunet slowed his pace to match Cloud's, remaining a short distance behind with eyes still locked on the blond's.

Cloud became acutely aware of his body trembling and his heart picked up to a pace that made it almost uncomfortable in his chest. He wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting to see when he glanced back at Leon but it definitely wasn't that look in his eyes. His heart broke silently as Leon refused to be the first to look away before a chill ran through the blond's body, reminding him that he needed to protect himself first and foremost. With that, the blond looked away.

-.-.-.-

To say it was a bit awkward when the boys reached home would be a gross understatement. An understatement on Cloud's part, that is, and the blond wondered whether he really should have taken a walk and give Leon some space. On one hand, Leon looked miserable on the walk home and Cloud was afraid that if he refused to come home after school, Leon might misread his intention and think Cloud just didn't want to be with him. Cloud wanted to protect himself but by no means did he want to hurt Leon either.

On the other hand, Cloud was dreading talking to Leon about what was going on in his head about the talk they had on the way home. It hurt Cloud to no end that Leon was just settling on him. Although Leon didn't say the words, his silence confirmed for the blond that what he told him when they first got together, that people just _settle_ instead of love, applies to their relationship. It felt like Cloud's heart was giving its all and Leon's was shrugging saying 'okay'.

Cloud remained quiet as he dropped his bag to the floor before crouching down to untie his boots. He tried his hardest to avoid meeting Leon's eyes again. He didn't think he would be able to stand seeing that hurt look again; he was afraid it would make him crumble. Instead, he focused really hard on taking his boots off, maybe taking a little longer doing so than the task actually required, before realizing that Leon was waiting for him. He couldn't help but look up to meet Leon's eyes, the jaded expression proving faux as blue-gray continued to swirl with intensity.

"I can give you space if you feel you need to think alone for awhile." Leon said, voice low and somewhat tender.

Cloud began chewing on his lower lip to calm himself. He wanted to offer Leon the same thing and began overanalyzing the situation. Did Leon want to be alone for a bit and offered space to Cloud so he could have it too? Did Leon want to be alone for a bit and offered space to Cloud as a test? Did he really want him to stay?

Leon watched Cloud's eyes study the floor. The blond looked tense and it seemed as though he was having trouble deciding what to do with the offer made. The brunet watched him for another moment before deciding to make this easier on Cloud.

"I wanted to talk about this on the way home, so if you don't need a little alone time, I would like to get this sorted out." He took a step closer to Cloud and brushed silky blond bangs away from his eyes. He felt minor relief that the blond didn't pull away or flinch. Making that one contact caused Leon's heart swell and it took a lot of effort not to pull the boy into his arms and hold him until all the pain disappeared. Instead, he let his fingers travel from the blond's hair down to his cheek then traced his jaw line. "It's up to you, Cloud. We'll do whatever you want."

Crystal blue eyes slowly lifted until they met with Leon's. He only barely registered what Leon had just said as he became lost in the feeling of Leon's touch. It felt good and he wanted to marvel in it just a little longer. "I don't want to be away from you." Cloud said in a small voice. He felt his eyes prick with the first sign of tears and licked his lips. "I don't like feeling like this."

"Like what?" Leon asked, taking one step closer to his boyfriend.

Cloud's eyes dropped to the ground again and he shook his head. "I don't know." He tried to come up with a better answer but was having trouble putting it into words. "I'm just so confused. Sometimes it feels as though I'm in control of things and other times it feels like I'm just along for the ride in my own head."

Leon put his hands on Cloud's shoulders and applied a little pressure, offering Cloud a warm embrace should the blond accept. Cloud all but threw himself into Leon's arms at the offer and clung to Leon's body just as his control over his emotions crumbled like a broken dam. He felt the first few tears escape just at the thought of Leon holding him and once the brunet's warmth and scent registered, Cloud couldn't keep track of the tears falling from his eyes. He bit back his sob and just held onto Leon as the brunet smoothed circles over his back with one hand, the other keeping him pressed up against his body.

Leon buried his nose within blond spikes and took in his scent. He placed a couple of light kisses on top of Cloud's head, causing the blond to sob in his arms.

"Shh, shh…" Leon hushed, rubbing his cheek against Cloud's. "Let's talk about this, okay? Putting it off is just hurting the both of us more."

Big glassy blue eyes looked up into Leon's and looked so full of pain. Cloud knew that this whole mess was a twisted train wreck, but there was something about hearing Leon admit that he was hurting too that made Cloud's heart clench painfully. "I-I don't know what… to say."

Leon's expression softened but he couldn't hide the fear of what was possibly going to happen in his eyes. He said he wanted to be Cloud's rock, so he would remain strong in hopes that it made things easier for the blond. "Lets just start talking and see where it takes us, okay?" With that, Leon took Cloud's hand in his own and led him to their room.

Once inside, he gently closed the door behind him and took Cloud to the bed, where they both sat on the edge. Cloud's eyes looked distant, as though he were trying to remove himself from this difficult situation. Leon could only imagining how overwhelmed the blond must have been feeling if his defence system was failing to protect him from his emotions right now. He didn't actually know how numb Cloud was at this moment.

Leon adjusted himself so he was sitting facing Cloud on the bed. He still held Cloud's hand and was running his fingers between the blond's knuckles. The brunet licked his lips, eyes trained on the blond's smooth hand, before beginning. "I guess a reality check would be best."

"Reality check?" the blond asked, eyes focused on his own hand in Leon's.

"About what's happening in our lives." Leon explained. "And your insecurity to it."

Crystal blue eyes darted up and met with Leon's. "Insecurity?" The blond furrowed his brow before shaking his head. He was a little put off by the poor choice of words. "It's not so much insecurity as it is resenting the upcoming situation."

Leon bit his lower lip and strongly kept Cloud's stare. "Do you not think that your perception of what's happening can be described as a little insecure?"

"No," Cloud answered immediately, voice sounding so sure but his certainty wavering just as the word left him mouth. "I think I have a right to be a little upset about what's going on."

"Of course you do." Leon assured, eyes watching Cloud's expression change from unsure to grief to anger then back to unsure again. "It's understandable that you'd upset, I am too, but there's something else causing you to draw away from me, from your friends, that looks a helluva lot like insecurity." Leon took a second of silence before continuing. "You wouldn't be pulling away from us like you were if you were just upset, would you?"

"I'm not pulling away from you guys." Cloud countered, eyes meeting Leon's in defiance, before his own mind spoke up.

_Yes, you are. Make it easier on yourself, kid._

Leon didn't miss the shift of focus in Cloud's eyes, suggesting that he was struggling with his own self at that very moment. "Explain to me why you're upset about moving away, then." As Leon had learned before, the best way to get his own point across was to have Cloud admit it himself.

Cloud's eyes searched Leon's for a moment. He was confused by the question; should it not be obvious why he was upset? Shouldn't Leon fully understand why since he supposedly felt the same way? "You don't understand why I'm upset?" Cloud asked, voice on edge almost as though he was waiting for an unexpected answer to crush his heart.

"I understand why I'm upset and I know that you feel it too," Leon began, eyes soft as they met Cloud's defensive ones. "I just think that you're assigning the wrong reason for being upset which is causing you to be insecure."

"I'm not insecure." Cloud countered, his voice a little sharper than he had intended. "I'm upset because I'm being forced to leave."

"And?" Leon questioned, hoping Cloud wouldn't resist the answer Leon knew was lying beneath this whole ordeal.

"I'm not insecure." Cloud repeated defiantly.

Leon shook his head and looked down at Cloud's hand, his fingers now stroking Cloud's palm. "I asked you why you are upset."

"I'm being forced to leave." Cloud repeated his previous answer before a rush of emotions took him by surprise. He took a deep breath and shook his head before continuing. "Being so far away from you, I'm afraid of who might try to pick you up. I'll be out of sight, out of mind. I know you wouldn't do it intentionally, but there will come a time when you'll need to make a decision. I'm sure I will too, but I know what my answer will be. I'll never know for sure what yours will be, though. You don't love me, I know that, and… and…" The blond paused as his previous statement sunk in and squeezed his heart. "No one loves me… I'm just so damn afraid of losing you."

"So, to paraphrase, you think no one loves you and because you're leaving, that means I'm going to find someone new." Leon said lowly, eyes still trained on Cloud's hand. "Is that what is causing you to be upset?"

Cloud closed one eye and searched Leon's face with the other. "I do sound insecure, don't I…"

Leon's eyes met with Cloud's once more and the corner of his lip twitched. "I'm not going to find somebody new, Cloud." Leon used his idle hand and ran it through the blond's hair. "I know I don't show my feelings well and I'm asking a lot from you to just trust me that I have strong feelings for you…" He paused and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I can't describe it to you, I'm sorry. I don't quite understand it myself, but the feelings I have for you are so strong. They're strong enough to deal with this temporary separation."

Cloud grimaced at the word 'separation' but kept his eyes on Leon's. "It's like a rollercoaster ride. I'm up and down about everything. One day everything is fine and the next I'm struggling to deal with what's about to happen."

Leon nodded, dropping his hand to take Cloud's other. "I have such strong feelings for you, Cloud." He moved Cloud's hand and put it over his heart, which was pounding with emotion. "This is what you do to me."

Cloud's mouth hung open slightly at the feeling of Leon's heart hammering wildly within his chest. He couldn't remove his eyes off of his hand on Leon's chest and was mesmerized by how strongly Leon's heart was beating. After a moment of silence, Cloud's eyes drifted up to meet Leon's.

Leon's eyes were soft and gentle, watching the blond's expression closely. "I feel a lot, Cloud, even though I may not show it outwardly. I can't describe what I feel no matter how much I try, but please believe me when I tell you that I'm not just settling on you." He swallowed hard and blinked a few times. "I'm not just settling. Last night meant the world to me and it made my feelings for you grow so much stronger. I sometimes have trouble dealing with you leaving too, but I know I will be faithful and I know you will be too."

Cloud blinked back a tear and looked down at the duvet. "I'm sorry."

Leon lifted his hand and stroked the side of Cloud's face, leaving the blond's hand over his racing heart. "I don't want you to be sorry about the way you feel. I want to talk it over so we both understand where the other is coming from."

Cloud shook his head. "No, I'm sorry for being so distant and not talking to you about what is going on. I was… I was trying to protect myself without giving consideration to what you must have been feeling."

"That's okay, babe." Leon said, pulling Cloud's head close so it rested on his shoulder. "I'm not holding it against you."

-.-.-.-

Leon and Cloud made a promise to be more open about their feelings so they wouldn't have to worry about the other. The promise was sealed with a kiss before Leon took Cloud to the kitchen to make him some supper. Zell was sitting at the table eating his own food wearing a calm smile as he worked on a crossword puzzle.

"How was school today?" Zell asked casually, not looking up from this puzzle.

"Oh, just splendid." Leon answered, leaving Cloud at the table before pulling out a pot and cutting board.

Zell looked up at Leon with the same calm smile then turned to Cloud. "Learn lots?"

Cloud rolled his eyes and rested his chin on his hand. "I'm a wealth of knowledge now after today."

Zell's smile widened for a moment before his eyes dropped back down to his puzzle. Cloud watched him in silence as the other blond's eyes danced over the page. Something was different about the way Zell was acting but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He was calm; less hyper-energetic than happy-energetic.

"What's wrong with you?" Cloud asked, causing Leon to turn around then look at Zell.

"Hmm?" Zell hummed, looking back at Cloud. "Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

"You're…" Cloud shook his head and motioned towards the older boy. "You're… quiet."

Zell lifted his eyebrows and pursed his lips. "And that means something's wrong?"

Cloud raised his own eyebrows. "Well… yeah, I guess so."

"You're still not brooding over Cloud's verbal assault this morning, are you?" Leon asked, looking back down at the food.

"I had completely forgotten about that." Zell smiled. "Thanks for bringing it back up."

"Right…" Leon added, cutting up a stock of celery.

"Can a man not be happy and quiet without there being something wrong?" Zell asked, his smile widening as he stretched back in his chair, his arms bending back over his head.

"I just don't think I've ever seen you like this before." Leon responded, not taking his eyes off dinner.

"Maybe I'm just happy that my friends are home." Zell's eyes met Cloud and he reached over the table and tapped his nose. "Missed ya, buddy."

Cloud flinched back and narrowed his eyes. "Are you high?"

Zell laughed and leaned back in his chair once more. "No, Cloud. I'm not high. I've just had a busy day and I feel as though I've got a lot accomplished. It's a good feeling and I'm just basking in it right now."

-.-.-.-

After eating dinner, Cloud and Leon went back to their room to get a start on their homework. Well, Leon did. Cloud didn't see too much use in doing his since he'd be leaving soon and wouldn't be around when this particular assignment would be due. Instead, he lied in bed next to Leon and read through his writing journal as the brunet completed his homework, the blond offering his input when Leon would ask his opinion on something.

Cloud was content and felt foolish for his earlier behaviour. He had trouble getting a grasp on his feelings when he was in a down mood. He was thankful that Leon understood this and didn't abandon him when he got like that. Instead, Leon stuck by him and seemed to know how to bring the blond's whirling head back to normal. The blond smiled to himself and his heart picked up pace slightly.

After an hour, Cloud rolled out of bed and began wandering around the room, taking in the sight of his belongings next to Leon's with a light-hearted smile. Leon watched him get up then continued to watch him as he would straighten something on a shelf or pull out a book before putting it back.

"Are you bored?" Leon asked, eyes still watching the blond.

Cloud turned around, the contented smile still playing across his lips and shook his head. "Nope, just roaming."

"I can take a break from this if you want company for a bit." the brunet offered, putting his pen down in the crease of the book.

"Nope," the blond started again. "Finish your homework so we have the rest of the night to ourselves." Cloud watched Leon watch him before turning his body to face the brunet. "I'm doing good, trust me. I'd rather you finish that now. I'm just happy to be here."

Leon picked his pen back up, eyes still watching the blond. "Let me know when you want me to take a break, then."

Cloud responded with a smile before turning around and busying himself with alphabetising their combined music collection.

About an hour later, the blond was pulling out a stack of papers found inside a drawer and began sorting through them. The brunet had a hard time focusing on his homework, one eye always on the page and the other on the blond before curiousity got the better of him.

"What are you going through, now?" he asked, dropping the pen back onto the book.

Cloud glanced up and shook his head. "Just seeing what's here." he answered with a smile. "How's the assignment coming along?"

Leon rubbed his eyes then rolled over onto his back. "I'm having a hard time concentrating. I find myself watching you instead of reading the material."

Cloud pursed his lips and returned the papers back into the drawer before getting up to his feet. "Do you want me to leave? I'm I distracting you?"

"No, no." Leon answered, rubbing his eyes. "I don't want you to leave me. I want you close by."

Cloud grinned and made his way to the bed. "I'll stay close, but you have work to do."

"S'not due for another week. I can take a break." Leon offered, tilting his head and looking at the blond. "C'mere." he said, reaching a hand out to the blond.

Cloud accepted his hand and was pulled onto the bed next to Leon. He crawled into the brunet's arms and sighed happily as Leon embraced him and held him close to his body. He curled up next to Leon's now outstretched body and lined up on his side so he could lay his head own on the brunet's shoulder, the brunet adjusting his arm to keep the blond's front pressed up against his side.

"Hey you." Cloud said cutely, looking up at his boyfriend's face with a delicate smile.

"Hey yourself." Leon responded, looking down to meet Cloud's gaze. "You look awfully comfy."

Cloud simply smiled and arched up against Leon, bringing his face close to the brunet's. "I think I wanna kiss you." he whispered as though he were telling a childish secret. His smile widened and he pulled up close so that their lips were only an inch apart.

Leon's lips twitched slightly and he found that he had no control over his instinctual reflex to move his lips closer until they met Cloud's in a soft, needy kiss. Cloud moaned immediately once Leon's lips made contact. He propped himself up on his elbow and bowed down to get a better angle on Leon's lips. The kiss began to show an instantaneous reaction as Cloud's skin tingled at the feeling of Leon's lips and he decided that he wanted more.

The blond parted his lips slightly and tongued the seam of Leon's lips playfully before pulling back, looking down into Leon's eyes. Leon's eyes fluttered open and his jaw hung slightly with a quiet pant. He lifted his head up an inch in attempts to recapture Cloud's mouth with his own but the blond backed away with a soft chuckle.

"Are you teasing me?" Leon asked, immediately feeling the effects of Cloud's silly game add to the already present tension from that morning's and that afternoon's sexual games they played.

"Maybe I am." Cloud responded in a hushed voice. He licked his lips for show before Leon lunged up and recaptured the blond's lips in a deep kiss, not waiting this time to enter Cloud's mouth with his tongue. He pulled Cloud's face close with one hand on the back of Cloud's head and used his other hand to pull the blond on top of him.

Cloud moaned again at the feeling of Leon's tongue stroking his own and their new position made the tingling between his legs grown stronger. He, too, felt the effects of their previous teasing and he really liked where this was all headed.

The blond felt his body being pulled back down with the brunet as Leon came to lie back down on the bed. Their kiss softened considerably yet was deeper than the ravaging kiss Leon started with. All Cloud could feel was warm wetness and the seductive caress of Leon's tongue against his and he began panting into the kiss, needing more air but not willing to let the kiss end yet.

Leon ran his hands down Cloud's sides and slipped them under his shirt causing the blond to shudder against his body. A groan was heard from the blond's throat but was quickly swallowed by the kiss. As Leon ran his smooth hands up the blond's silky skin, Cloud lowered himself so he was straddling the brunet, his chest pressed up against his boyfriend's.

Cloud instantly felt the effects of their passionate kiss brought out from the brunet against his own hardened body and couldn't help but thrust against it slowly. Leon gasped as his head dropped to the mattress, ending the kiss.

Cloud couldn't tear his eyes off of his boyfriend as blue-gray slowly became hidden behind fluttering eyelids. Leon's mouth hung open slightly and his chest rose and fell in a strong, steady motion as Cloud continued to gently rock on his lap. Leon looked like a god; Cloud found himself as much turned on by the sight of his excited boyfriend as he was by the feeling of Leon's erection rubbing up against his own. He had to taste him.

Without breaking his tender stride, Cloud stretched up and nuzzled Leon's cheek with his own before kissing a trail down the brunet's neck. Leon moaned as the blond continued to explore the warm skin with his tongue before massaging the base of his neck with his lips. The brunet's breathing became heavier and Cloud spared a moment to grin as he felt him thrust back up against his rocking motion.

It was Cloud's turn to moan this time against Leon's neck as a spike of pleasure coursed through is body at the feeling of Leon's hips moving against his own. He wanted to encourage that response, so his lips immediately began working on the firm flesh on Leon's neck vigorously. Leon responded with a throaty groan as his hands slipped out from under Cloud's shirt and gripped the blond's hips, pushing and pulling them against his own and effectively intensifying the friction against their arousals.

There was something in Leon's demanding motion that set something off in Cloud and he bit underneath Leon's ear, causing the brunet to gasp, before kissing and licking in apology.

"Teeth…" Leon panted. "Sharp…"

"Aww… I'm sorry babe." Cloud whispered playfully into Leon's ear before he rimmed the brunet's earlobe with the tip of his tongue. "I'll make it up to you."

Leon's only response was a heated mumble that most likely was suppose to represent words but Cloud couldn't make sense of it. He didn't care to try either as he sat up on Leon's lap and tugged on the brunet's shirt, signalling that he wanted him to sit up too. Leon's heated eyes watched Cloud for a second before he pulled himself up while his hands immediately busied themselves under Cloud's shirt rubbing his flat stomach.

Cloud slapped Leon's hands away and grabbed hold of the seam of his boyfriend's shirt before lifting it over his head. Leon let out a quiet grunt and took off Cloud's shirt, instantly being pushed back down on the bed once the blond was free of the clothing.

Cloud went to work on Leon's lips immediately and felt himself win dominance over the kiss. Leon battled to win it back, but Cloud was feeling particularly frisky at the moment and wasn't going to relinquish his control so easily. He exerted his dominance by nipping at Leon's lips as the brunet attempted to reclaim control and it wasn't too long before Leon surrendered to the blond's wishes, allowing himself to be directed by Cloud.

When Cloud felt Leon give up the fight, he smiled to himself against Leon's mouth and increased the pace of his rocking against the brunet's hips. Leon was breathing more than heavily and his hands kept themselves preoccupied stroking the blond's silky soft skin along his sides. Goose bumps broke out over Cloud's body and that only served to increase the throbbing Leon felt in his pants.

Soon the physical contact they had wasn't enough and both decided at the same moment to take it to the next step, both reaching for one another's hands causing another battle for dominance. Cloud wasn't going to give up the fight and soon had Leon's wrists pinned to the mattress next to his head. He glared down at Leon lustfully, drinking in the sight of the brunet panting and staring back up at him with very heated eyes.

The blond sat up on Leon's hips for a few second, observing the storm brewing in blue-gray eyes, before he leaned down and brushed his lips against the brunet's, swiping his tongue against Leon's mouth before retreating a few inches. Leon leaned up to capture the blond's lips with his own but was stopped by the way Cloud had him pinned. The temperature in Leon's eyes escalated as he somewhat tried to free his wrists but the blond wasn't going to give up control so easily. Cloud leaned down again and just at the moment their lips made contact he pulled up again, leaving the brunet panting. The humidity between their lips was getting hotter and the blond revelled in the feeling as Leon kept his head up off the mattress in hopes that Cloud would grant him a kiss.

Crystal blue eyes stared down at Leon and the blond once again moved closer so their lips were barely touching. Leon moaned but felt himself lose all strength to the near thrusting Cloud was administering to his groin and let his head drop down to the mattress once again, closing his eyes as the pleasure rippled through his body.

At that moment, Cloud leaned down further to suck and lick Leon's neck, taking great pride in how the brunet simply rolled his head to the side to give him better access and panted at the kneading sensation causing a slight tremor to travel through his body.

Cloud's lips travelled from Leon's neck to this throat then continued down to this chest. His hands shifted from Leon's wrists to his firm biceps and pushed them up a little further making it very clear that he wanted Leon to remain idle and keep his hands out of the way. Leon sighed deeply and Cloud continued his path downwards, keeping a firm grip on his arms, and licked his way to his navel. Leon couldn't help the involuntary buck up against Cloud's chest as the blond moved down on his body with his tongue. At that, Cloud squeezed Leon's arms before running his hands down his body to his pants where he began to unbuckle the brunet's belt, pants, and unfasten his jean's buttons.

"C-Cloud…" Leon murmured, his eyes fluttered shut as his head lulled to the other side. He reached down to touch the blond when his arms were viciously thrown back up by the blond. He looked down at burning blue eyes which were glaring at him in warning. He was to keep his arms up and keep still while Cloud did with his body what he wanted. Leon had no objections.

As Leon followed his silent orders, Cloud's eyes softened before refocusing on the tight, bronzed skin stretched over the brunet's flat, hard stomach, his tongue swiping over the brunet's navel once more before he kissed his way lower to the rim of Leon's now exposed boxers.

Cloud took a moment to enjoy the sight of his aroused boyfriend. Leon had his eyes closed again, head resting against the mattress and his arms held up high enough so he couldn't reach the blond without moving them. His chest was heaving as he panted and his skin shone with a thin layer of sweat as the blond continued to make his body burn. Cloud couldn't deny the effect the sight had on him, his own erection giving a little twitch as his excitement skyrocketed at the attractive sight.

Cloud bowed his head once more and kissed Leon's pelvic as his hand slowly worked the brunet's pants and boxers lower. He was reward with a hitched breath followed by a controlled moan from the brunet and continued to pull the rest of Leon's clothing off.

Once naked, Leon's eyes opened again and gazed longingly down at the blond, who was licking his lips as he observed his prize. Cloud blinked slowly as he ran his hands up Leon's muscled thighs, avoiding his cock for the moment. The brunet couldn't help but thrust up slightly as his erection continued to pulse with excitement and he reminded himself to calm down as the anticipation of the blond's plans was sure to make him lose control quicker than he wanted. He took a deep breath at the same time as Cloud and felt his jaw go slack as the blond lowered his head and kissed the tip of his erection.

Leon's head fell back down to the mattress and he let out a prolonged moan as Cloud continued to kiss his way down the length of Leon's cock. He massaged the base with his lips before licking his way back up to the head. Leon was paralysed with pleasure and kept completely still, subduing his urge to thrust up once more. If he thought he was feeling intense pleasure then, he didn't know how to describe how he felt when Cloud took the tip of his cock into his mouth and ran his tongue over it several times before taking him in further. Leon gasped and couldn't suppress it any further as his hips gently rocked up into Cloud's mouth. He wanted to fuck his mouth quickly but he didn't want to treat the blond like some common whore so he kept his pace slow and soft, relishing in the feeling of the wet heat surrounding him.

Cloud gripped the base of Leon's cock with one hand and rubbed under the brunet's balls gently with the other as his lips slid smoothly up and down his shaft. He loved the pace they were setting with one another, Leon's hips softly rocking up to meet his lips as he took him deeper into this throat, parting once again only to be rejoined the next instant. They were perfectly in sync and he took great enjoyment in making his man feel so good.

Leon quietly moaned which was echoed by Cloud causing a gasp from the brunet at the sensation of vibrations travelling the length of his arousal. Cloud allowed a smug smile around Leon's shaft before letting out a long, drawn out moan just for Leon's pleasure, who obviously appreciated it as his hips faltered slightly and his thrusts came just a little quicker.

Cloud ran the hand that was gripping the base of Leon's cock up to the brunet's stomach and lightly scratched at the taut skin. His other hand was still massaging just underneath the brunet's sac and he relied solely on his tongue to keep Leon's length inside his mouth. His heart was beating quickly and his erection was pounding almost painfully in his pants, but his heart froze for a brief second as Leon's hand enveloped his own and threaded their fingers together.

The blond looked up at Leon but could not meet his eyes as the brunet still had his head down on the mattress and his eyes were shut, his lips letting out pants in the most delicious way. Cloud flicked his tongue over the tip of Leon's erection and watched as the brunet's expression changed into something that resembled pain but he knew it was far from it. He continued to tongue the brunet, his eyes locked on Leon's expression before Leon opened his eyes and looked down at him, eyes now drowned with excited heat.

Leon gave Cloud's hand a gentle squeeze before his other hand travelled down and stroked the side of the blond's face. He ran his hand through silky blond locks before guiding the blond up towards him, lips searching for that delicate mouth that had just released his aching erection.

Cloud moved under Leon's guidance and put his tongue to use inside Leon's mouth, the brunet letting out a shuddered breath as the blond's body hovered over his own. With the hand holding Cloud's, Leon pulled Cloud away from the kiss and steered him in the direction of the nightstand where he kept the item they would need next. Cloud understood immediately what Leon wanted and bent over in a reach and pulled out a bottle of oil from the nightstand. He returned to hover over Leon's sitting body and handed the brunet the bottle as he dipped down to capture his lips.

Leon took the bottle from Cloud and dropped it on the bed beside him before cupping the blond's face in his hands. His tongue slid against Cloud's and he relished in the low moan Cloud let out. He loved when Cloud made noise. It made his already painful erection throb more intensely.

Cloud began to settle onto Leon's lap when the brunet grabbed his hips and held him up slightly. Blue-gray eyes met with crystal blue and he guided Cloud into a kneeling position right in front of him, the blond's knees on either side of the brunet's hips. Cloud's eyes penetrated him curiously as he watched the brunet kiss his stomach before his hands came up and began unfastening his belt and pants. Once he realized what he was doing, the blond's head lulled back and he took in a deep breath. He felt slightly chilly air against his hardened flesh as it sprang free from its confines before warm breath breathed over the tip. Cloud's chest rose and fell as he began breathing heavier and he looked down just in time to see the brunet place his first kiss against the tip of his aching erection. The blond moaned and couldn't remove his eyes from what was happening to him. The brunet licked his lips once before he took Cloud into his mouth and deep throated him, causing ample pressure as his lips moved back up along his length.

"Oh Gods, Leon…" Cloud panted as his eyes began to flutter.

Leon spared a quick glance up at the blond before his focus shifted back to pleasuring his boyfriend. Cloud felt his legs tremble and he shifted which brought his hips closer to the brunet's lips as Leon deep throated him again. He was amazed at the brunet's skill and he focused on those pink lips around his cock as they pulled up his length once more.

Leon placed a couple of kisses along Cloud's shaft then licked the tip once more, lapping up the precum that had accumulated there. The sight of the glistening thread between his cock and the brunet's tongue caused Cloud to shudder and he ran a hand through the brunet's hair.

Leon sucked the blond until all traces of precum were gone before moving back an inch and grabbing the lubrication which had previously been discarded beside him. Cloud's heart picked up pace at the notion of what they were preparing for and he placed his other hand on Leon's shoulder to steady himself.

Leon opened the bottle of oil and poured some into his hand. He snapped the bottle shut and tossed it aside before spreading the oil on his hands. He looked up at Cloud again with delicate eyes, silently asking whether the blond was ready for what he wanted to do and was met with a small nod, the blond's hand stroking his chocolate locks once more.

Leon's eyes pulsated with such strong emotion before his hand reached around and gently stroked the blond's ass, causing said blond to moan. He tried lowering himself on the brunet's lap but was quickly discouraged by Leon's other hand. Leon lifted Cloud's hips up until the blond was kneeling in front of him once more. His fingers teased Cloud's opening and he was rewarded with a deep moan once again. His fingers brushed over it again before he slipped an oily finger inside, causing the blond's moaning to become louder.

"I will stop if you tell me to." the brunet said with a husky voice, his mind warning him to honour his promise.

"You're insane." Cloud replied, eyes fluttering shut. "I don't want you to ever stop."

"If it hurts too much, I mean." Leon responded, keeping his eyes trained on the blond's features as his finger moved within him.

Cloud's lips formed a sweet smile as his head rolled back. "If you taught me anything last night it's that a little bit of pain is worth a world of pleasure. Keep going."

Leon's lips twitched and he couldn't help but feel proud that Cloud thought of him that way. The blond really warmed up to the thought of sex with him and he was much too willing to have fun with it. With that, he removed his finger and replaced it with three causing the blond to gasp.

"Gaia…" Cloud whispered, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Too much?" the brunet asked, stilling his hand.

"Keep going." the blond instructed again, hips shifting downwards against the brunet's hand. "Don't stop unless I implicitly tell you to."

Cloud's response sent a shock of excitement through Leon's body causing it to shudder. "You're the boss." he said light-heartedly as he began fucking Cloud with his fingers, taking extra care to stretch him out properly. Cloud seemed to really appreciate the response he was given as he began to lower himself again only to be stopped once more.

Cloud looked down just as Leon took his straining erection in his mouth again effectively nullifying any pain or discomfort he was feeling at being so stretched. He let out a throaty groan and started thrusting into the brunet's mouth instead of lowing onto his fingers. He understood now why Leon wouldn't let him straddle his lap.

Leon kept his preparation intense as he sucked off his boyfriend with plenty of pressure as his fingers stretched his insides. Once he felt as though Cloud was sufficiently prepared, his fingers began searching once more for the spot that would make Cloud-

"Leon!" Cloud cried out, body instantly going rigid from pleasure. "Oh Gods… Leon, please…" he whined. The pleasure was almost too much for his aroused body and he could feel his cock swell within Leon's mouth.

Leon removed his fingers from Cloud and the blond's erection from his mouth before he lost control. He loved how good he could make Cloud feel but his own need had grown to an uncomfortable state.

"You ready?" Leon asked, his eyes blazing with desire.

Cloud was still trembling from the attention his body had just received and nodded in confirmation. "I need you…"

Leon panted as he lowered the blond onto his lap, lining up his cock with Cloud's opening. His hands stroked the soft skin on Cloud's hips before be began to guide the blond down onto him. The brunet felt the initial resistance as his erection first pushed past the ring of muscle and slowly brought Cloud down until he was sitting on his lap, Leon now deep inside him.

Cloud was breathing heavily with his eyes closed tight. Leon kissed his slightly parted lips then laid Cloud's head down against his shoulder, keeping still to prevent further discomfort before the blond adjusted to having him inside his body. Cloud appreciated the affectionate gesture and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. The pressure was intense and although he was feeling a little bit of pain, he knew what Leon was capable of and understood that this initial pain was part of the experience. He at least had a boyfriend who took it slow.

Leon placed a few kisses on the blond's forehead before reaching down to ensure that the blond was still enjoying himself. He wrapped his fingers around Cloud's still-hard cock and gently stroked it hoping that the distraction would help him cope with the ache he felt from having Leon buried within him.

Cloud gasped and tightened his embrace. His eyes closed tighter and he all but pressed himself against Leon's firm, muscled body. Although he was in a little pain, Leon's distraction was working wonders and he couldn't help but rock his hips into Leon's grasp which slid Leon in and out of his entrance from the other end. The feeling was unbelievable and Cloud found himself quickly adjusting to the intrusion.

He opened his eyes with his cheek still against the brunet's shoulder and found Leon watching him closely with an expression of arousal blended perfectly with concern. It made his heart throb that the brunet was concerned for him and he couldn't help but tilt his head to capture those slightly parted lips. Leon moaned into the kiss but completely broke all connection with a sharp gasp as Cloud lifted his hips, holding the brunet barely inside him. Blue-gray eyes penetrated crystal blue as his hand continued to stroke the blond's cock with a gentle yet firm grip.

Cloud's eyes swam with arousal and pleasure as he lowered himself on Leon once more, causing him to hold his breath while Leon panted with strained control.

"You okay?" Leon asked, watching his lover's face carefully as the boy's features twisted intensely to the still new sensation.

Cloud let out a muffled grunt, probably meant to be held back, as he started up a steadier rhythm choosing not to respond with words. Leon's breath caught in his throat as Cloud's pace picked up and the blond bounced on his lap with more confidence. He worried that Cloud was doing it to please him, which it was; pleasure washed over the brunet as his length slid in and out of the blond and he had a hard time not thrusting up against Cloud.

"Gods, Cloud…" Leon whispered, trying to keep his composure as the blond continued. "Please tell me you're okay…"

"I'm okay." the blond responded, voice heavy with strain and lust. "Stay still; don't move." The blond's voice was focused and low as he made his demand. He licked his lips before looking down between his legs. Leon's hand was still pumping him steadily and the sight sent a spark of pleasure through the blond's body. He moved his hand and placed it over the brunet's, removing his boyfriend's hold on his arousal. Leon's hand clutched onto Cloud's and he threaded his fingers through the blond's before looking into heated blue eyes for an explanation. A part of him was worried that this was all still too new for Cloud and the blond would want to stop.

"I just want to feel you." the blond explained, mouth slightly open as he watched the brunet's cock disappear within him with every downwards rock of his hips.

Leon's cock twitched within the blond at Cloud's words and his eyes narrowed with excitement. He was in the process of trying to determine whether Cloud was telling the truth or if he was just trying to put on a brave face before Cloud arched his body and pushed the brunet gently down to the bed with his hands. Cloud had Leon loosely pinned to the mattress, his hands just above his head, before he leaned down and kissed his boyfriend, his hips rocking firmly.

Leon took a shuddered breath when their lips finally parted and he had to remind himself not to move. He was under the blond's orders to stay still as he let Cloud take the reins on this one. He was concerned that the blond was in pain and Cloud's expression offered only arousal and intense focus as his body propelled itself up and down on the brunet's body, burying him as deep as he could before pulling up just enough to keep him inside. Leon took in a deep breath and could feel himself swell further inside of Cloud. Every move the blond was making was intensifying the brunet's pleasure. He went to move his hands to hold Cloud's hips but the blond wouldn't relent and held his hands down against the mattress.

There was something close to desperation in Cloud's eyes that got the brunet thinking before all train of thought was relinquished to just feeling what was happening to him and hoping that Cloud felt good too. Leon's eyes opened and almost glared up at Cloud's expression. His lips began to tingle like another part of his body and licking them only served to amplify the tingling sensation further. His eyes were stuck on Cloud and the sight of the blond was almost too compellingly beautiful. Cloud had closed his eyes and his mouth hung open slightly as his body moved up and down on Leon's.

"Cloud…" Leon whispered, his voice not able to project any higher. "Babe, you're so incredible."

Cloud's mouth opened slightly further before his lips shut, his eyes remaining closed. Leon's lips continued to tingle and he felt his body begin to quiver. He knew he wasn't going to last a lot longer and he began to grow concerned that Cloud wasn't enjoying this as he was.

"Cloud… P-permission to move my hands, please?" Leon panted, his mind quickly coming up with a solution to make sure that Cloud not only experienced his climax, but at the same time as his own. The need was growing stronger and he really wanted to work on his plan before it was too late.

Cloud didn't respond; instead, he began rocking on Leon's lap with slightly more force. His eyes remained closed and his expression offered concentration and need.

"Please, Cloud…" Leon gasped as he felt himself twitch within the blond. He moved his hands which were promptly restrained by Cloud's. "Let me just hold your hips." Leon requested, knowing that Cloud wanted their love making not to come to an end due to a hand job. "Please, baby…"

Cloud's eyes opened slightly and looked down at his over-excited boyfriend. Leon's eyes were piercing and his tongue swiped across his lips ever so seductively. He couldn't help himself; Cloud leaned down and kissed Leon forcefully, his tongue fighting its way past the brunet's lips immediately and tasting him.

Leon moaned into Cloud's mouth. The blond's hips continued to rock on his own as he ran his hands down Cloud's sides, gripping his hips with controlled strength. He shifted his own hips under the blond before shifting Cloud's hips to better angle himself into the blond, aiming for the one place he knew would make Cloud enjoy their fusion as much as he was. It took a couple of thrusts, but he knew he was getting close as the blond began whimpering in his mouth before he threw his head back and let out a strangled cry. He found it.

"That better, baby?" Leon almost growled. Cloud's cry sent his body temperature skyrocketing and he thought he was going to lose control quickly.

"Ngh… L-Leon…" Cloud grunted, his body picking up pace as he all but slammed himself down on Leon's hips.

Leon took a deep breath and held Cloud's hips steady so he wouldn't miss his intended target. "Gods, you feel so good, Cloud… Keep going."

"Gods… gods… Please, Leon…" Cloud grunted, his voice low and fierce and his eyes shut tight. His cock pulsed with the new sensation. Every time Leon's cock hit that spot inside of him, he though he was going to cum right then and there. "Please…"

Leon's lips twitched as he licked them again. He began pulling Cloud down on him as the blond lowered himself, offering a harder impact when his cock struck that spot inside the blond. "Please what, Cloud."

Cloud's only response was a long, drawn-out groan as his legs began to shake.

"Please, what? Tell me what." Leon repeated, his body anticipating the bliss in hearing the blond vocalize again. "Talk to me, Cloud." he demanded forcefully, thrusting up into the blond as his hands jerked Cloud down on him.

"It'sa- it'sa… Leon, so good… Please…" Cloud began muttering between gasps and pants; his body moved quickly on top of his boyfriend.

"Please what, Cloud." Leon demanded. He knew he was getting close but he couldn't stop himself from getting Cloud to talk. The blond's voice added an intensity that he couldn't deny himself of any longer, even if it meant him climaxing before Cloud. "Tell me; please what?"

"I'm going…" Cloud started before his voice was cut off by a sharp gasp. "Oh Gods… Leon, I'm going to-"

"Going to what, Cloud?" Leon interrupted, knowing damn well what was going on. "Tell me!"

"I'm going to cum!" Cloud all but shouted, his body picking up more speed as he impaled himself on Leon's shaft. "Please, make me cum, Leon. I'm so close!"

"Do it, Cloud." Leon demanded, his voice dangerously low as his body was on its way up. "I can't hold on any longer; do it!"

Cloud began to grunt steadily as he felt Leon's length swell within him. He was on his way up too and it was only a few thrusts into his prostate after before his body exploded with white light and the most intense pleasure took over his body.

He cried out Leon's name as his body struggled to keep Leon buried deep inside of him, legs quaking and rocking motion faltering, Cloud lost control of his body as he came all over Leon's hard stomach. His body shook violently as wave after wave of lighting heat consumed him. He didn't hear himself repeat Leon's name over and over, like a mantra, with a weak and helpless voice.

Hearing his name uttered in such need was Leon's undoing. Even when he felt Cloud tighten around his cock as he came, the warm liquid coating his bronzed skin, he tried to hold on to watch the blond's facial expression change as he experienced pure bliss. When Cloud said his name repeatedly, his orgasm hit him like a tidal wave, carrying him away from the present to a place with no time; a place with only pleasure and he felt himself empty himself inside of blazing-hot heat. He could feel his cock pulse as he shot his load and he didn't realize that he had pulled Cloud down on top of him with a powerful embrace as he rode out his orgasm.

When returned to the present, Leon couldn't open his eyes long enough to get a bearing of what state his boyfriend was in. He tried to move his arms but found it more comfortable with them wrapped around Cloud protectively. He could feel that Cloud was still straddling him and had his upper body pressed tightly against his own. He could feel that he was still inside of his boyfriend, his erection not leaving just yet and the strange sensation of feeling his own heart beat inside of Cloud distracted him until he heard a low sigh coming from the blond.

Leon loosened his arms but kept them on Cloud as he attempted to open his eyes again. His blurred vision saw blond and that was about it.

"Cloud…" Leon said lowly, trying to focus his eyes.

Cloud shifted slightly on the brunet's body but gave up soon afterwards. He responded with a short, soft moan.

Leon sighed himself and closed his eyes again. The blond's heartbeat was pounding against his chest and Cloud's body practically melting into his own. Leon's lips twitched again and this time he couldn't help a small smile as the blond's breathing evened out into a deep, restful pace signalling that he had just drifted off into sleep.

-o-o-o-

It feels so good to finally get this chapter up! Yay!

Please review?


	29. Chapter 27

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for waiting for the next chapter! I think my writers' block is better now since the last half of this chapter just flowed! I hope you like.

Two things I need to make mention of here:

1) I think there's only two chapters left after this one! The next chapter is the one that inspired me to start writing this fic and the whole reason why I wrote a 30+ chaptered fic. I'm really excited to get it posted! XD

2) I have been flattered beyond all belief! Two more readers have sent me links to pics for Salacity! I can't believe the talent of these artists and want to share them with you. Thank you **Revalations** and** KyoSohmaLuver** for these lovely pictures! I am beyond grateful for this compliment!

All art created for Salacity can be found on my profile! Please go check it out; I promise you won't be sorry!

On with the show!

*still glowing*

-o-o-o-

Most people look forward to Fridays. Normally, Leon and Cloud would too, but this Friday was possibly the last Friday they would spend together, save for the Friday evening trips to Cloud's new home if they decided that they couldn't bear to wait until Saturday. Cloud was banking on it, but it really was up to Zell and Irvine, who would have to decide if putting off their own Friday night plans was worth driving Leon and Cloud's friends an hour out every week and an hour's drive back if the college boys decided not to stay out there.

Although this weighed heavily on Cloud's mind as he woke up that morning, he tried not to think about it too much. Finding a distraction wasn't difficult, though, because he was still naked and completely intertwined with Leon's naked body. This caused a soft smile to play across his lips as he snuggled closer to his still-slumbering boyfriend. He could still feel a dull ache deep inside his body from the night before and that only served to broaden his smile at the memory.

He felt lighter after talking with Leon after school. He felt horrible for causing so much drama in their relationship but he was grateful that Leon didn't feed into it and spearheaded their working it through via discussion. Leon had a level head about him and it kept Cloud anchored when his emotions ran high. He still didn't completely understand why he had such a problem controlling his drama-queen outbursts, if they could be called that, but the fact that Leon wasn't willing to throw in the towel and gently brought the blond back to reality made Cloud feel like the luckiest guy alive.

Cloud smiled at this thought as he kissed Leon's forehead softly, keeping his eyes closed as he basked in the brunet's warmth and masculine, clean scent. Just thinking about Leon caused his heart to throb in his chest; his warmth and scent caused it to ache.

Cloud still had a hard time processing what Leon had shown him the night before. The brunet was never one for showing his emotions, but last night Leon took it one step further and proved to Cloud that his feelings for the blond were strong. When he placed Cloud's hand over his heart, Cloud had a hard time believing what he was being shown. Leon's heart pounded wildly within his chest and Cloud's seemed to sync up with it with so much love and devotion. He wondered if Leon was beginning to understand love, but with that thought the blond shook his head to himself. He wasn't going to set himself up for disappointment in hoping that the brunet would 'come around' concerning the love issue.

"What was that all about?" a husky, sleepy voice said, causing the blond to smile and look up into Leon's eyes.

"What was what all about?" Cloud asked, leaning up and placing a chaste kiss against Leon's lips.

The kiss caused Leon to moan under his breath as he pulled Cloud closer to his body and buried his nose within silky, blond hair. "You shook your head."

Cloud frowned slightly, a reaction Leon couldn't see from his current position, before sighing to himself. "My head's a real mess right now." the blond answered. He was not going to go into details. "So much to think about."

"What do you say we skip school today." Leon suggested, placing several small kisses on Cloud's crown. "Spend the day in bed together."

Cloud smiled at the suggestion before it immediately converted into a frown. "Might be the last day to see my friends at school." he replied in a low voice. Uttering those words caused the blond to tear up before he took a deep breath to dispel dark emotions. "I need to apologize for being such an ass yesterday."

"They're not mad at you." Leon offered before looking down at his boyfriend. "But I understand why you would want to go to school today."

Cloud looked into his boyfriends eyes then offered a weak smile. "It's like I want to see them, but I'm afraid to." Cloud laid his head back down on Leon's shoulder and focused on a random object across the room. "I'm really going to miss them and… and I don't want to get all mushy."

Leon huffed and started stroking Cloud's back. "Sometimes mushy is okay." He had nothing else to offer. He knew there was nothing he could say that would ease the blond's dread so he pulled him closer, placing a kiss on top of his head, and just stayed with him so he didn't have to be alone.

-.-.-.-

When the boys finally managed to untangled themselves from each other, shower, and stumble out of the bedroom distracted with a few kisses, Leon began preparing breakfast for himself and his boyfriend. Cloud made a general comment about how unusual it was for Zell not to be around which was quickly forgotten as the smell of breakfast ham and pineapple filled the small kitchen.

Leon listened to Cloud comment on the weather but his mind was stuck on the older blond's absence. It was weird how Zell didn't make an appearance and it was stranger still that he was nowhere to be found in the house as the couple left for the day.

_He must have gone to classes early,_ the brunet concluded before his focus switched to the anxious looking blond.

Conversation was short as they walked to school and upon arriving, Tony's appearance in the basketball court by the school did nothing to perk either of them up. Leon began searching the school yard for a friendly face but Cloud's gaze was stuck on Tony and his friends as they messed around with a basketball, looking full of energy and perfectly in sync. Cloud's gut reaction was to get as far away from them as possible but his head told him to stop being so jumpy and just ignore them.

As if Tony heard Cloud's thoughts, he turned around and his expression turned mean as his eyes fell on Leon and Cloud. Cloud's hand instinctively squeezed Leon's from nervousness and Leon squeezed back, eyes still surveying the surrounding area, thinking that Cloud was just being affectionate. Tony's eyes locked onto Cloud's and they stared at one another, Tony's eyes looked angry and Cloud's looked uneasy but unwilling to back down.

Tony took a few steps in the couple's direction and stood tall. Cloud could see Tony flexing his muscles as if preparing for a fight but the boy hardly moved. Every fibre in Cloud's being was telling him to get out of there, his sixth sense raising red flag after red flag, warning Cloud that there was something going on that he wasn't identifying yet, but it was there.

_Stop being a pussy…_ Cloud told himself before he shot a dirty look Tony's was before tugging on his boyfriend's arm.

"They here yet?"

"I don't see anyone." Leon answered before looking back at his boyfriend. "We'll catch them later."

"Kiss me." Cloud requested, his lips curving into a soft smile.

Leon narrowed his eyes as he leaned in and placed his lips against Cloud's in a delicate kiss. Cloud felt his heart rate pick up and he wasn't sure which explanation to pin to it: Leon had that effect on him, Cloud's public display of affection, or that he was using Leon's kiss solely to piss off his former lover. Cloud let Leon end the kiss after a few seconds and decided to let it end there instead of moan for another. He wasn't sure if he was really trying to piss off Tony, but if he was, he didn't want to use Leon like that.

Leon's grip on Cloud's hand tightened as he began to lead the blond towards the front entrance of the school and Cloud couldn't help but look back at Tony, who was positively raging at the moment; his eyes almost on fire as he watched the brunet escort the blond away after what looked to be a tender, affectionate kiss.

Cloud's eyes met Tony's and he let the anger wash away from his own expression. His eyes softened as he glanced back to his boyfriend and followed him like a good boyfriend should.

The rest of the morning was as odd as it had begun. Classes were boring and the classes he had with one of his friends or another was awkward because Cloud felt like he had so much to say to them but wanted to wait until they were all together and had time to say what he really wanted to say. The boys picked up on this and played along easy enough, pretending nothing was amiss. Brad sent him sly smirks when the teacher said something that could be interpreted as sexual while Brantley outwardly chuckled and Xander would give Cloud a curious-surprised look and take plenty of notes with a silly grin. In his Literature class, Eric had as hard of a time concentrating as Cloud. They wrote notes back and forth, mainly about boredom and a few about the appalling outfits some of their fellow students were wearing.

Between classes, Cloud felt a mix of sorrow and uneasiness. He looked around the hallways as a flood of memories came back to him. He grew up in this neighbourhood with the very students who normally filled these now empty hallways. A lot of them grew up together from kindergarten and it was sad that he was about to be removed from the community and hardly anyone would notice. He frowned to himself as he heard someone whispering softly behind him.

Cloud turned around and his heart caught in his throat at the sight of Tony and a couple of his friends. The blond rolled his eyes and continued on his way when Tony grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. Cloud's back pressed back into Tony's chest and he was forced still when Tony's arm wrapped around his chest as he leaned closer to Cloud's ear.

"I don't think you're going to like what's coming to you." Tony whispered, his warm breath almost tickling Cloud's ear.

Cloud chose not to respond except for trying to wriggle out of Tony's hateful embrace.

"Fags like you don't deserve to live, Strife. We have plans for you."

Cloud stood still and wondered if one of them had the knife right now. A part of him wanted to drop his books and begin swinging, but the other part of him remained perfectly still with fright.

"I had a dream about you last night." Tony continued, his thumb lightly stroking Cloud's chest.

"That's the only way you'll ever have me." Cloud responded bitterly.

"There was so much blood." Tony continued, ignoring Cloud's reply as an evil smile played across his lips. "And your eyes… full of tears as you begged me to stop." Tony dragged his thumb across Cloud's chest with a lot of pressure, pretending it was a blade cutting him open. Tony took a step back and pushed Cloud forward. "See you later, faggot."

Cloud stood still trembling as his listened to the small group of boys trot away, a few of them chuckling with a disgusting tone. Cloud wasn't a stranger to Tony's threats, but there was something very different about Tony's energy and tone which made the blond incredibly nervous. As his back was pressed up against Tony, he felt the boy's heart beat and had a hard time focusing on anything else. He didn't know Tony's game, but if he was intending to follow through on his threats, Cloud would need to tell someone before it was too late.

After a moment, which felt like a century, Cloud began walking towards his next class. He felt like he was in a dream state, floating along without the faintest recollection of what exactly he was doing there. He didn't need to be in school right now and he began to wonder if it was worth it to apologize to the guys face to face when Tony and his friends threatened him like they just had. Cloud tried to shake his head but his body wasn't responding to his brain's demand and he only could continue on his course. It wasn't until he sat down in his seat, which was conveniently placed next to Leon's, before the blond seemed to snap out of it.

"What happened?" Leon's jaded voice was the first thing Cloud recognized. Next was his expressionless face and deeply concerned eyes.

Cloud shook his head, his body finally obeying, and he looked down at his desk. "Tony…"

"What did he do?" Leon asked almost too quickly.

"Nothing… He just… talked." Cloud rubbed his eyes before he began pulling out his textbook. "He just threatened me. Nothing new."

Leon's eyes scanned Cloud for a moment before he leaned closer to the blond so his face was inches away from his boyfriend. "Then why do you look so upset?"

Cloud turned his head and took in Leon's disposition. His heart was thudding in his chest and he wanted nothing more than to spill all to his boyfriend but he didn't want to come off so weak when he wasn't sure whether Tony was all talk or not. "He said some stupid shit and…" Cloud paused a moment as his eyes left Leon and looked down at the floor. "I guess today's just been weird. It affected me more than it usually does." He tried to put on a smile and huffed for good measure. "You'd think I'd be used to this by now, huh?"

Leon began to shake his head slowly but stopped. He leaned back in his chair without removing his eyes from his boyfriend. He wasn't buying what Cloud was selling.

"Anyway," Cloud started, eyes meeting Leon's once again. "TGIF, ya? We're almost half way done the day already."

Leon's eyes continued to examine Cloud and he chose not to respond. He licked his lips and noticed how Cloud was trying to appear happy but, unfortunately for Cloud, he wore his heart on his sleeve. Tony had said something that truly disturbed Cloud and he wasn't telling him about it.

Cloud's attention was drawn up to the front of the room when the teacher announced the beginning of class. He seemed to fall into routine as he pulled out a pen and neatly wrote the date at the top of his page. Leon's eyes never left Cloud until he was called upon to answer a question. After proving he knew what the teacher wanted, Leon's attention went back to Cloud, who looked back at him with a soft smile.

Not even half way through class the static from the PA system came on and requested that Cloud go to the principal's office. Cloud's stomach dropped and he knew exactly what the principal wanted with him. He must have found a place for him to go. If he found a place for him to go, Cloud was probably leaving very soon; most likely this coming weekend. He felt his face pale as he packed his bag, hands trembling as he felt all eyes on him, watching him, wondering what's happening, pitying him.

Cloud swallowed hard as he got up out of his desk. His eyes met Leon's, who was watching him anxiously. He paused a moment to take in the brunet's exquisiteness before he felt a soft, strong hand wrap around his and gently tug him down. Cloud complied, his heart freezing as he felt familiar warm, delicate lips against his own before he even knew what was happening. And it was over before he could respond properly.

Leon's eyes bore into his intensely offering him strength. Cloud's lips twitched slightly in attempts to smile but came out more nervous than anything. He took in a deep breath as Leon nodded his head slowly and released his hand.

"See you at lunch." Leon whispered.

Cloud made another attempt to smile then settled for a nod. "See you."

-.-.-.-

Cloud sat in silence across from the principal in his office. Neither had said much after the initial greeting and he knew Sephiroth was waiting for him to ask what the meeting was about. Cloud had no intention of starting this conversation and he couldn't help but feel a bit of residual anger towards the principal for bringing on this whole situation. He understood that his anger was misplaced after talking with his friends and Leon, but that didn't stop his heart from feeling it.

The blond vaguely heard a clock somewhere in the office tick away the seconds and he could feel Sephiroth's eyes on him, watching him with sympathy even though his own eyes were downcast set on the textured mahogany of the principal's desk. He was growing more uncomfortable with every tick of the clock but he understood that that's exactly what Sephiroth was banking on; waiting him out until Cloud became so uncomfortable that he would start the conversation. With that knowledge, Cloud kept his mouth shut and continued waiting. He was not going to let Sephiroth win this one.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few minutes, Cloud's emotions shifted and he felt more miserable than ever. He took a silent breath in to relieve the ache in his chest but it only served to tighten it more. A sharp pain thumped in his chest to the beat of his heart and he began to feel tears prick his eyes. He held his breath and shifted uncomfortably in his chair, wanting nothing more than to run away; hide his pain and tears, but this conversation, if it was ever going to begin, was inevitable. He wasn't one to run away, either, and refused to show how weak and depressed he was at the moment. He blinked a few times and found it more difficult to avoid looking up at Sephiroth. He bit his lower lip and shifted once more, refusing to give in; refusing to let the principal win this stubborn competition.

"Cloud…" the principal began, voice low and smooth as if he figured that would be enough to put the blond at ease.

_Cloud: 1; Sephiroth: 0._ Cloud smiled inwardly for winning this one.

"We've got the details sorted out for your transfer." Sephiroth said matter-of-factly.

_Like a piece of property…_ Cloud thought to himself.

"We tried to make it as close as possible so you can be with your friends." he continued, watching the blond for any sort of reaction. He received none and couldn't help but notice how jaded the blond looked. Jaded, with the exception of his eyes, which looked dejected. "I wanted to talk to you about this since we're going to be moving you this weekend." He paused a moment for some sort of response; shock, surprise, anger, sadness, anything to show that Cloud understood what was going on but he was met with more silent nonchalance. "Would you like to know the details; who you will be staying with or where you're going to be moving to?"

Cloud huffed softly and shook his head, eyes still fixed on the desk. "It doesn't matter…"

Sephiroth licked his lips before shaking his head. "It might help if…"

"It doesn't matter." Cloud repeated, eyes finally bearing up and staring at the principal with poorly hidden anger. "I don't care. I really don't."

The principal was going to object but bit his tongue and remained quiet. "I can't say that I understand," Sephiroth began carefully, making sure his voice sounded the furthest thing from rebut. "But I respect your decision. I know you probably don't want it, but if you ever need my help, I would like to give you my home phone number in case you need to talk… or vent to someone who cares about you."

Cloud's eyes bore into Sephiroth's with ineffectively hidden anger. "Need your help? Seph, listen…" Cloud took on a casual, condescending tone. "I may have realized that I'm not really mad at you, per se, but I'm definitely not thrilled with you, either. I would never call you for help or just to _chat_. I have my friends. I don't want your number."

"Fair enough…" Sephiroth said with a nod. He paused once more before deciding to continue. "I just wanted to offer you the opportunity to learn about your new home and foster family, as well as extend my support. The offer doesn't expire so if you change your mind…" Sephiroth pushed a card across the desk with his home number written on the back. "I suppose some time within the next day or two you will be contacted by your new guardian to set the plans in place to move." The principal couldn't help but feel a little choked up about this meeting as it probably would be their last.

Cloud stared at Sephiroth's card and had no intentions of taking it with him. This was all happening way too fast and he was more than a little overwhelmed. There was more silence between them; Sephiroth was thinking of what to say next and Cloud was trying to wrap his head around the whole situation.

It was Sephiroth who broke the silence and Cloud inwardly smiled at his second victory.

"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"

Cloud thought a moment. He began to shake is head but stopped as a thought occurred to him. The principal caught on to this and waited to hear what the blond had to say. Cloud took an extra moment to collect his thoughts before beginning.

"It would help me out if you… if you could keep an eye out for Leon and my friends." He wanted to continue but he didn't know how.

"What do you mean by that?" the Sephiroth asked, leaning forward in his chair.

Cloud opened his mouth but closed it. His jaw clenched and he was somewhat thankful that Sephiroth gave him a moment to compose what he wanted to say.

"Tony… and his friends. They've been threatening me and I…" He paused once more before looking up at Sephiroth with vulnerable eyes. "I'm afraid of what he might say or do to them once I'm gone. He knows about Leon and I and I don't want his anger transferred from me to him. And my friends… they'll get involved if Tony goes after Leon." His heart was beating wildly in his chest and the thought of Tony uttering the same threats to Leon as they did to him earlier made him feel weak. "I don't know if there's anything you can do, but I wanted to ask you…" He felt like a jerk, being angry at Sephiroth and not hiding it only to ask a favour the very next second. "Please, just watch out for them…"

Something in the principal's eyes softened as he watched the blond struggle with his request. He leaned back into his chair, eyes remaining on Cloud who was looking very uncomfortable at the moment.

"You have my word, Cloud."

Cloud's eyes remained on the principal before dropping to the ground. "I know there may not be a lot you can do for them…"

"I'll do my very best. I promise."

-.-.-.-

Cloud was more than a little shaken up as he left the principal's office. Not too much more could be said between the two of them so Cloud simply nodded and stood to leave. He knew Sephiroth was disappointed when Cloud made it a point to look at the card with his number on it before glancing at him and walking away without it. He also knew that Sephiroth was genuinely concerned for him and wasn't making an empty-hearted offer when he said Cloud could call him at home any time, but Cloud wasn't willing to cast off the impression that he couldn't be independent.

It didn't matter now, anyhow. He could find out what was happening with Leon and his friends by talking to Leon and his friends directly. He didn't think there was too much he could gain out of keeping open communication with Sephiroth and, however cold it sounded, he thought it best to completely break ties with him to rid of the pain he was reminded of every time Sephiroth looked at him.

Selfish? Sure it was, but Cloud was only looking after himself at the moment.

Cloud didn't go back to class after seeing the principal. Instead, he went outside to the school's grounds and wandered.

_I suppose some time within the next day or two you will be contacted by your new guardian to set the plans in place to move._ Sephiroth's words echoed in his head and they did nothing to calm his nerves. His heart was still pounding and the pain in his chest was as bad as before. He wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in Leon's arms. He wanted Leon to take this pain away from him and remind him over and over again that everything would be okay. He wanted to be surrounded by his friends but, on the other hand, he wanted to be alone. He didn't want to be this weak in front of anyone, not even those closest to him.

"You okay?" a soft voice said from behind him. Cloud quickly wiped away a tear before looking over his shoulder to see Eric standing a few paces behind him.

Cloud nodded before turning his head again, looking out in front of him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He heard Eric chuckle before the boy closed the distance between them. He placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder and softly directed him to face himself. "Leon's lesson one: don't ask that silly question." Eric smiled tenderly and tilted his head. "What happened?" he tried again, reaching out and wiping a rogue tear from Cloud's soft cheek.

Cloud looked down to the ground and took a deep breath. "Sephiroth told me that I'm leaving this weekend." His eyes lifted and met with Eric's. "It's just…" He paused, not able to finish his own sentence.

"I understand. It's just so fast, right?"

Cloud nodded.

Eric sighed, a half smile still apparent on his friendly face. He squeezed Cloud's shoulder before pulling him in for a hug, wrapping his arms around him protectively. "I know, Cloud. It is happening fast." He noticed that Cloud was still, allowing himself to be comforted without pulling away. "It's overwhelming but, in a way, it is also a good thing. It gives us all time to adjust quicker to the change so we can get settled sooner, no?"

Cloud closed his eyes and rested his head on Eric's shoulder. "I guess…"

"You guess? No, you know, blondie." Eric chided playfully. "The last thing we want is for this whole thing to drag on out, right?"

Cloud took a deep breath before offering a weak 'yeah'. Eric gave him a firm squeeze before resting his hands on the blond's shoulders and pulling back enough to look into his sad, blue eyes. "And we're going to be here for you every step of the way. After everything is settled, you'll wonder what it was you were ever worried about. I promise." He smiled at Cloud, who almost smiled back before his eyes focused on the two figures approaching them from the other side of the yard.

Leon and Brad walked straight for them with sombre eyes. A few seconds later, Brantley and Xander appeared from the school doors and jogged to catch up with the other two. Eric looked over his shoulder before turning back towards Cloud. "I saw you wandering out here alone through the classroom window and thought you might like some company. I texted them to join us."

Cloud didn't want to be weak in front of anyone, not even his closest friends, but it didn't matter anymore because he knew they were going to carry him through this.

Leon looked at Eric as he drew close before his eyes rested on Cloud, who watched him with eyes of pain mixed with relief. Eric took a couple of steps back as Leon reached them and smiled at the others as Leon pulled Cloud in for an affectionate embrace. No words were exchanged between them.

"How you doing, kid?" Brad asked, rubbing Cloud's back.

"We heard the announcement on the PA system. What did Principal Sephiroth want?" Xander asked, tilting his head to look into Cloud's eyes.

Cloud's eyes met Xander's and he took a deep breath, head still attached to Leon's shoulder as the brunet's arms shielded him from the outside world.

"Lets chat over here." Brantley suggested, taking a few steps towards a bench bordering the school's grounds.

The small group made their way to the bench, Leon's arm possessively wrapped around Cloud's waist, and they all took a seat.

"I'm doing better now, actually." Cloud said, glancing at Eric who responded with a nod. "And Sephiroth wanted to let me know…" he paused, eyes still trained on Eric.

Leon took a deep breath and rested his forehead against the side of Cloud's head. "It's happening this weekend, isn't it…"

Eric's eyes offered encouragement and strength for the blond, who tilted his head towards Leon's. "Yeah…"

Everyone was quiet for a moment before Brantley spoke up. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know." the blond responded. "I didn't want to talk about it so I just left his office."

"You didn't want to find out who you'll be staying with?" Xander asked, leaning towards the huddled couple.

Cloud started to shake his head then stopped. "It doesn't matter. He said that they would probably contact me really soon to sort out the details and move."

"So, it's written in stone, then." Leon commented, voice low and sounding almost hurt.

Cloud turned his head so his lips were resting on the brunet's forehead. "I guess so but it's probably better that it's happening now so we don't have to dread it longer than we need to." His eyes glanced up and met with Eric's again, who offered him a tender smile. "I can get settled and we can start planning our road trips."

Leon took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. His arms held Cloud just a little tighter. He felt numb.

"We can start next weekend!" Xander chimed in hoping to dispel the dreary mood.

"Cloud can give us the grand tour and we can find a place to have fun." Brantley added, smiling at Xander before looking at Cloud, who offered him a small smile in return. Brantley's smile dropped though at the sight of Leon, whose eyes were still closed.

Eric leaned in towards Leon and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be hard at first but it won't always be like this." Leon didn't move and it broke Eric's heart to see this normally composed, jaded boy look so defeated and depressed. "We'll make the most of every weekend."

Leon lifted his head and looked over at Eric, his eyes betraying how much pain he was feeling at the moment. "We will."

Cloud watched his boyfriend with a heavy heart before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. Leon kissed him back chastely, keeping his eyes open and on the blond. Cloud rested his forehead against Leon's after their lips parted and took a deep breath, looking at each of his friends in the eyes before beginning. "I wanted to tell you guys how grateful I am to have you here to help me through this." Cloud immediately felt a lump in his throat and tears prick his eyes. "I haven't been the easiest person to be around since this all started happening and I wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting."

"Lets not make this a sappy goodbye, Cloud, because that's not needed." Brantley said, smiling at the blond. "We're still going to see each other a lot, ya know?"

"This isn't a sappy goodbye." Cloud said, eyes saddening further. "This is an apology."

"For what? Being upset about what's happening with you?" Xander asked, shaking his head. "That's not needed either. We understand."

"For withdrawing and…" Cloud began but paused. He didn't know how to say what he wanted.

"We know you've been trying to put some distance between you and us, Cloud." Brad said, placing a hand on the blond's shoulder. "We figured that part out already. We also know that you were doing it to protect yourself."

"It's an understandable reaction." Eric added.

"That doesn't make it excusable." Cloud said, looking back at Eric. "If you forgive me, which I hope you all do, that's what I need, but please acknowledge this apology at the very least."

Eric smiled sweetly and nodded. "Apology accepted, then."

"Apology accepted." Xander said, smiling wide.

"Totally accepted." Brantley replied, nudging Cloud on the shoulder with a grin.

"Accepted." Brad added with a nod.

Cloud felt himself tremble with relief and he smiled at every one of his friends before looking at Leon. Leon's eyes bore into his intensely with so much grief.

"Leon?" Cloud asked, his own eyes softening as his hand traveled up the brunet's chest and stilled over his heart. He was astonished at how heavily Leon's heart was beating in his chest; it made his own heart ache knowing that Leon was feeling so much at the moment.

Leon watched the blond's eyes for a moment before leaning in so his lips were barely touching Cloud's. "As I said last night, I'm not holding anything against you." With that, he placed a delicate kiss against Cloud's lips.

-o-o-o-

Two more chapters left! As always, I'd love to hear what you think. Thanksies! =D

PS – Go check out the Salacity pictures! XD


	30. Chapter 28

A/N : Hey guys! Okay, so here's the second last chapter of Salacity. I also have the last chapter already written, but I want to see reactions to this chapter before I release the conclusion to my first cross-over story. Please, let me know what you think?

I also wanted to make mention that Leon uses a quote in the middle of this chapter that was written by Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan for the movie _Annie_. I found it quite by accident when writing this part of this chapter and it just felt too right, so I had my boy say it. I just wanted to be clear that I didn't write it. Short, but incredibly sweet.

I hope you enjoy. I'll hang on to the last chapter for a bit. Let me hear what you think?

-o-o-o-

_They that love beyond this world cannot be separated by it._

Cloud's frown twitched slightly at the thought of the quote he had written in Leon's journal the night they first expressed their feelings physically. After a couple of extra seconds, his frown disappeared and turned into a soft smile.

_We'll smile, but only for seconds for to be caught smiling is to acknowledge life. A brave but useless show of compassion and that is forbidden in this drab and colourless world._

Cloud's smile twitched and was soon replaced by the frown that had previously been occupying his lips. Somehow that quote he read in Leon's journal had stuck in his head as well and had lay dormant until it was ready to smother all hopes of Cloud's mood improving.

After their talk, Cloud and his friends decided to head back to class, Cloud asking not to be escorted as he wanted a few moments to himself to think. His friends and Leon reluctantly let him go but Cloud couldn't help but see Leon's dejected expression deepen before he turned and walked away. Cloud frowned again and shook his head. He hated making Leon feel this way; he hated everything that was going on, but he wanted to get his own emotions in check before his next class.

"Boy trouble?" a voice asked from behind him.

Cloud's frowned tightened as he turned around to find Tony standing a few feet from him, his expression unreadable. The blond's eyes immediately began scanning the surrounding area in search of Tony's friends who would inevitably be around somewhere to participate in torturing him. The halls were empty.

Cloud paused for a second before shaking his head. "No." He turned around and started to walk away again.

"You know, you used to tell me everything. Remember?" Tony asked, starting to follow the blond, remaining a few paces behind.

Cloud narrowed his eyes and he glanced back over his shoulder. "Things change."

Tony was silent for a couple of seconds before shaking his head. "I know, but sometimes it's almost like…" He paused before continuing. "It's just sad that…"

"Look, what do you want?" Cloud asked, turning around and facing Tony, who stopped in his tracks and looked into the blond's eyes.

Tony looked as though he was about to start talking but swallowed his words. Instead, he looked into Cloud's eyes and frowned. "It bothers me to see you with _him_."

Cloud's eyes went wide for a split second before he narrowed them and scowled. "It's not like we flaunt it willingly or anything. You really need to get over this homophobia shit…"

"It's not that…" Tony started, his voice going low. He looked around them then down to the ground. "Just seeing you with another guy… makes me…" He sighed heavily then his eyes rose to meet Cloud's. "It makes me miss you… surprisingly…" He let out a soft chuckle as if they were sharing an amusing intimate memory.

Cloud was going to respond with a disbelieving 'What?' but his voice couldn't produce the sound. Something he suspected was confirmed and he couldn't be angrier about it. "You dumped me; I didn't dump you. Remember?" Cloud was fuming now. "You fuckin' humiliated me in front of everyone and tried to kick the shit out of me with your new friends at every opportunity! What the fuck were you expecting? Did you think I was going to stay single forever?"

"No, Cloud. I –"

"Shut the fuck up!" Cloud almost screamed. "I don't give a shit if you miss me. I honestly could _not_ care any less if you have regrets – I don't want to hear it." Cloud stared straight into Tony's eyes. "None of that matters to me."

In an instant, Tony had Cloud pinned up against the nearest locker and leaned in to kiss him. Cloud was so completely caught off guard that he failed to react before Tony pressed his lips against his, his lips moving over Cloud's and his tongue already demanding entrance. Cloud snapped out of it and shoved Tony back, only succeeding to the point where the kiss was broken but Tony's hands immediately had his arms painfully trapped against the lockers and his body pressed up against the blond's.

"Get the fuck off-" Cloud began but was silenced as Tony moved his lips closer causing the blond's lips to close with a tight seal.

"Have you and your pretty-boy fucked yet?" Tony asked, his eyes dark and dangerous as he glared into Cloud's stunned baby-blues. Cloud refused to answer and Tony shook his head, pressing his body tightly against Cloud's, the evidence of what Tony must have been thinking very apparently against Cloud's hip. "Do you guys rendezvous every night to screw each other before going to bed?"

"That's none of your damn business." Cloud spat out, his own eyes portraying a deep-seeded rage what was beginning to boil in his gut. "Get off of me. Now."

"I hate watching the way you conduct yourself when you're around him." Tony started, his eyelids fluttering as he brushed the side of his face against Cloud's. Cloud tilted his head to put distance between him and Tony but regretted it as soon as he felt Tony's hot breath against the base of his neck. "It bothers me to see you follow him around like an obedient little dog, eyes transfixed on his every move." Tony shuddered and pressed tightly against Cloud, who was beginning to regain his senses and started to struggle the best he could in his position. "I hate seeing you with him and thinking about what you do togeth-"

"And I don't give a fuck." Cloud hissed. "Get the fuck _off_ of me."

Tony's eyes met with Cloud's once more and Cloud couldn't help but watch as a dangerous rage swirled within them. Tony seemed to be contemplating his next move and when his head bowed to close the space between his lips and Cloud's, Cloud turned his head away.

Tony didn't pull back. His lips placed a kiss on Cloud's neck before rising slightly so that Cloud could hear him breath softly in his ear. After a couple of seconds, which felt like hours for Cloud, Tony whispered lowly, "I'm going to make sure you remain miserable."

"Miserable?" Cloud asked, turning his head so that their lips were mere millimetres apart. He glared into Tony's eyes as a grin spread across his lips. "I've never been so happy in my life."

Tony's eyes darkened and Cloud could feel Tony's erection give a soft twitch against his hip. He felt Tony's hands clench tighter around his arms before he backed up slowly from the blond, eyes levelling Cloud's but Cloud maintained the stare defiantly, his grin never slipping from his lips.

"You're going to regret this." Tony almost growled. When the bell rang to release the students to their next class, Tony turned around and walked away.

It took a few moments after Tony had walked away before Cloud could move again. It wasn't until several students began eyeing him curiously, still pressed up against the locker in a daze, before Cloud stood up straight, took a couple of steps forward before turning around and making his way to the men's restrooms.

Once confirming he was alone, Cloud locked the door and washed his face with cold water. With his face still dripping, he looked up at his reflection in the mirror, eyes roaming over his features before stilling on his eyes. He looked frightened, he could see that in himself, and he needed to pull himself together before he ran into Leon or any one of his friends.

He splashed cold water on his face again and dried it off with paper towel. He still looked terrified.

-.-.-.-

Leon glanced at the time on his phone and sighed quietly to himself as he leaned back against his locker. He knew the blond would be stopping by his locker to grab the books he needed for their next class before heading to the classroom and he hadn't arrived yet. He was cutting it close as the bell would be bringing in a moment or two.

Leon was nervous. The worst thoughts were swirling around in his mind as to what could be keeping Cloud. He tried to dispel them but as the seconds ticked by, he had to suppress the urge to go out and find his boyfriend. Had Tony attacked him again? Would they have used the knife they threatened him with before? Was Cloud lying broken on the ground somewhere, unable to get to or call out for help?

He was working himself up, unable to stop himself, as he began walking away from the locker to look for the blond when he saw Cloud turn down the hallway towards him. Leon immediately began scanning the blond, searching for any sign of injury. Cloud gave him an easy smile when he noticed the brunet watching him closely. But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Sorry I'm late." Cloud said as he reached his boyfriend, running a hand down Leon's forearm before opening his locker. "Had to make a pit stop before next class."

Leon watched Cloud pack his bag as he reflected on how the blond's words sounded practiced; strained and rehearsed. When Cloud stood up and closed his locker, Leon put his hand on the blond's shoulder and turned him to face himself. His eyes searched the blond's before scanning his body once more inspecting for injuries. When he was satisfied that the blond was okay, his hand lifted and brushed blond bangs away from impossibly beautiful blue eyes. "I was beginning to worry." he said lowly, his eyes staring adoringly into Cloud's.

Cloud smiled, for real this time, as his hand covered Leon's. He moved Leon's hand from his hair to his cheek where he tilted his face into Leon's palm, eyes glistening and happy. Leon swallowed hard and pulled the blond gently against his body with his other hand. When Cloud's arms wrapped around him, his hand on Cloud's cheek moved to behind his neck and pulled Cloud's head against his shoulder.

"We should skip the rest of today." Leon commented lowly, burying his nose in silky blond spikes.

"I want to stay. I want to see the guys at lunch and then we'll go home." Cloud whispered, inhaling Leon's scent. "Spend the rest of today together. Alone."

Cloud leaned up and kissed Leon but the brunet didn't miss the way he quickly looked around them first, looking for something or someone before he took his lips gently with his own. Leon's eyes remained open and watched the blond as their lips connected and moved together. Blue eyes appeared from behind fluttering lids as the kiss ended.

Their next class went by slowly, every minute feeling like an hour though the brunet couldn't recall a single detail from the entire class outside of what Cloud was doing or how he looked. The blond was obviously distracted and wasn't paying too much attention to what was going on and for the times their eyes met, the brunet's heart pounded in his chest and an unknown emotion caused his eyes to prick with tears; tears he quickly rid of before they were noticed by his boyfriend.

_Just admit it, you coward…_

Leon took a silent, deep breath and looked down at his desk.

_Things have changed. Tell him that what he needs to hear is exactly what you're feeling._

Leon closed his eyes as his heart rate picked up to an uncomfortable pace. He could feel a slight tremble running through his muscles before he shifted in his seat to make it less noticeable.

_Who cares if you've never felt it before? This could be it. You don't need to be scared anymore. You don't need to hide._

Leon looked over at the blond, who was drawing patterns across his otherwise blank paper and his heart swelled inside of his chest.

_He's going to be gone in a couple of days._

And his heart felt like it was breaking.

-.-.-.-

After class, Leon took Cloud's hand in his own as they made their way to the cafeteria. Things were awkwardly silent for Leon, though Cloud looked content enough, even if he was just putting on a brave face.

"Cloud," Leon began before he could think through what he wanted to say. He paused as his mind worked double time.

Cloud looked up at Leon with wide, blue eyes, waiting for the brunet to continue. "Yes?" he finally asked when it was apparent that Leon wasn't going to continue unprompted.

Leon took a deep breath as he stopped walking, Cloud stilling beside him and looking up at him with bright blue eyes. "I…" Leon paused again, his voice rendering useless under such an innocent, loving stare like the one he was receiving from the blond. He could see it in Cloud's eyes, the anticipation of what Leon wanted to tell him wrapping around him like a boa constrictor wrapping itself around its prey. "I… I'm really going to miss you." Leon immediate felt annoyed with himself and he didn't miss the disappointment in Cloud's eyes.

Cloud was disappointed but he tried to hide it behind a soft smile. He knew from the way Leon was looking at him that Leon knew that he was disappointed and the pained expression in gray-blue eyes told him that he was upset with himself for it. Leon wouldn't tell Cloud that he loved him, but he showed it in different ways whether he intended to or not.

"I love you, Leon." Cloud almost whispered before leaning up and placing a tender kiss against the brunet's lips. He then buried his face against the base of Leon's neck and wrapped his arms around him. "And I'm going to miss you, too." He placed a couple of kisses against Leon's throat before looking up at him.

Leon looked as though he had something else to say but was holding back; why, he could only guess at. _He's unsure of his own feelings._ Trying not to get his hopes up, Cloud's eyes softened before they entered the cafeteria and made their way to the table Brad, Brantley, Xander, and Eric had already occupied.

Conversation was short and each ate their lunches deep in thought. No one knew whether this was awkward or just content so they kept quiet as to not disturb the others in case it was the latter. Somehow, even Brantley was able to hold his tongue as if he had finally run out of things to say at the moment. Still, there was something in each of their eyes that settled Cloud and he felt neither awkward nor on edge as he continued eating, his eyes occasionally sweeping over the brunet's features without said brunet noticing. What Cloud didn't know was that Leon knew exactly when the blond glanced at him but kept his own eyes diverted to avoid eye contact. He didn't like the way his heartache spiked every time their eyes absorbed the others'.

Xander smirked at himself as he packed up his lunch, drawing Brantley and Eric's eyes before he shook his head.

"Yes?" Cloud asked, announcing that he saw the smirk from his peripheral vision.

Xander raised his eyebrows, eyes trained on the task at hand. "Hmm?"

Cloud glanced over at his friend, choosing not to say a word as he waited for some form of explanation.

Xander's smirk widened.

-.-.-.-

"So, what's next?" Brantley asked, slinging an arm around Cloud's shoulder as the small group made their way across the soccer field. Leon and Cloud were skipping the rest of the school day and the others decided to skip the next class to see them off without rush.

"I'm not sure," Cloud answered, eyes lowering to the ground. "I suppose I just wait to hear from my guardian." He sighed to himself as the thought of packing this weekend caused his chest to tighten. His and Leon's belongings looked so good together, it warmed his heart, and now he was going to have to pack everything up.

"I'm _positive_ they're nice people." Eric said softly. "Otherwise, they wouldn't be allowed to be guardians in the first place."

Cloud's lips tightened and his curiousity was kicking him internally for not finding out who they were when the Sephiroth offered. "I guess they can't be much worse than my mother." he added weakly.

Leon's hand, enveloping his own, tightened though his eyes remained on the ground.

Cloud looked over at Leon before it became too painful and he, too, looked down to the ground. Brad looked over at Eric, who offered him a small smile before Eric's eyes grazed over to Brantley and Xander.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments and it was having quite the effect on Brantley, who was itching to talk but was unsure of what he could say that wouldn't be inappropriate, circumstances considering. "Xander's dating Irvine, you know."

Leon and Cloud both looked up at Brantley before their eyes flashed to Xander as if in sync.

"Really?" Cloud asked, a smile appearing across his otherwise despondent features. "When did this become official?"

Xander smiled widely before shaking his head, looking over at Brantley. "I'm beginning to believe that it would literally kill you to keep quiet for more than five minutes…" After earning a playful grin from Brantley, Xander glanced at Leon and Cloud. "We set a date last night. We're seeing each other this weekend. I'm helping out with something then… we'll see where it goes from there."

Cloud chuckled and nodded. "That's…" He bit his lower lip before his smile widened. "That's interesting news." Xander's smile matched Cloud's and the blond chuckled again. "I'm happy for you. I think we all saw it coming. He seems to really like you."

"Thanks," Xander said, a faint blush colouring his cheeks before he kicked a stone in front of him.

Leon remained quiet though nothing in his jaded expression suggested that he didn't approve, according to Cloud's inspection. He finally offered his 'congrats' then fell into silence once more, his eyes clouding over as he fell back into his despair over the upcoming weekend.

Idle chit-chat filled the space around them, neither Leon nor Cloud contributing much aside from Cloud dismissing the idea of a 'last-hoorah' before his departure. The others reluctantly agreed seeing how they would still see one another often enough, though giving up an excuse to party was harder to accept for Brantley.

Brad could see that Cloud wanted to leave to spend some alone time with Leon but was hesitant to leave them as well, so it was he who suggested that they head home. He would call Cloud the next day to make plans.

Eric and Brantley frowned and Xander looked a little more upset than the others as his eyes glazed over with emotion. Cloud didn't want a mushy good-bye because this really wasn't a good-bye; more like 'see-you-soon', but more because he didn't want to be overwhelmed with the pain he felt as he left his friends from school property for the last time. Fighting off the emotion he felt was useless as soon as Xander embraced him and held him tightly as if this was the last time he was going to see the blond.

Cloud cursed the tears slowly running down his own cheeks and closed his eyes tight. "Geez, Xander, this isn't the last time we're going to see one another, ya?" His voice didn't sound as strong as he had hoped.

Xander finally pulled back from the embrace and wiped his own tears away with a sniffle before smiling. "I know… I'm sorry." He took a deep breath before shaking his head. "I'm such a chick…"

Cloud gave him a soft smile and shook his head before wiping away another stray tear from Xander's cheek with his thumb.

"Ah, get a hold of yourself, ya?" Brantley said to Xander in a mocking tone. He put on a playful pout. "If you cry, I'll cry, then we're all gonna cry." He grinned, which did not match his fake sob, before he reached out for Cloud. "C'mere, kiddo." He pulled Cloud in for a hug, which was far less gentle than Xander's. "Life is full of surprises, Strife. You may actually grow to like your guardian. If it can work for Leon then it can work for you." Cloud bit his lower lip then looked up at Brantley. "Just stay positive 'cuz if you don't, you'll have to deal with us very weekend, pounding it into your blond little head that everythin-"

"Everything is all right." Cloud finished for him. "Yeah, I've heard this speech before." The blond grinned then looked down at the ground. "I'll have to get my fill of annoying chatter over the weekends now, I suppose."

Brantley smirked as he winked. "You betcha!"

Brad put a hand on Cloud's shoulder and offered one of his rare smiles. "This is kinda like Dorothy saying good-bye to the scarecrow, tin-man, and the cowardly lion, huh?" He pulled Cloud close and wrapped his other arm around his slender frame.

"I call lion!" Xander called out, wiping another tear from his cheek.

"Except I'm not going home," Cloud said lowly, trying to smile but failing.

Brad patted the blond on the back before taking a step back. "You are; you just don't know it yet." He smiled again for Cloud and ran his hand through silky blond hair; another rare display of affection. "Because the scarecrow, tin-man, and the lion were Dorothy's friends from home all along, remember?"

Cloud nodded and tried to keep his lower lip from trembling. "Yeah, I guess they were."

He patted Cloud on the back once more before nodding his head. "You're gonna be all right, kid."

Eric was next, watching Cloud try to keep his composure. He spared a quick glance at Leon, who had his eyes downcast the entire time thus far with a solemn expression. Eric grinned and pulled Cloud into a hug and laid his cheek against blond hair. "I'm so happy we became friends when we did, Cloud. I'd hate myself for not getting to know you now that I know what a great person you are."

Cloud closed his eyes as another tear ran down his cheek. "I have a confession to make, Eric."

Eric looked down at the blond with gentle features.

"At first, I wanted not to like you so much because I was jealous, but I couldn't not like you. You are too damn nice to not like."

Eric chuckled and shook his head. "Jealous?"

Cloud looked back at Leon, who lifted his eyes long enough to meet the blond's before they sought out the ground again. "I liked him from the moment I laid eyes on him." Cloud looked back at Eric with a faint blush. "And I was jealous that he made another friend so quickly after arriving at this school. I wanted him… to myself… I guess." Cloud shook his head with embarrassment before burying his face in Eric's chest. "It didn't last long because you're such a cool person, and… I guess I just wanted you to know that I'm really glad we became friends, too."

Eric smiled and squeezed Cloud again.

After their good-byes, or see-you-laters, Leon took Cloud's hand in his own and led him towards the side street beside the school's boarder. Cloud was still a little emotional and kept quiet. Seeing the guys at school again was a little harder than he thought it would be but he was glad he did it. He felt closer to them than he ever felt before and he knew that they were looking forward to seeing him on the weekends just as much as he was looking forward to seeing them.

Leon was still quiet, his expression dark and his eyes matching the despair. If he thought saying good-bye was hard with his friends, he didn't know what to expect when it came time to leave Leon. The thought caused a fresh tear to escape his eye.

"Meaning it in the best way possible, I'm glad that part's over." Cloud said, hoping to strike up conversation to distract himself from his sorrow.

Leon's lips tightened and he nodded to confirm he heard what the blond had said.

Cloud frowned and looked down to the ground. "I'm happy we're taking the rest of the day off together." Leon didn't respond. Leon's silence was like a knife to the blond's heart. "Aren't you?" Anything – _anything_ to hear Leon say something.

Leon nodded again, eyes remaining on the ground in front of them.

Cloud paused before taking a deep breath. "I love you." he practically whispered.

Leon's eyes lifted enough to look into the blond's before he stopped walking. He pulled Cloud close and immediately took his lips with his own in a delicate, heartfelt kiss. His hand traveled up into the blond's hair as he held the boy's face against his and the other snaked its way around the slender frame, pulling it closer against him.

There was nothing but a sad passion dictating the emotion between them, a kiss not evoking lust but dread to be apart. The sentiment of Leon's own desperation and suffering caused tears to well up in the blond's eyes again before he pulled back just enough to keep himself from releasing a sob into Leon's mouth.

Leon placed a gentle kiss on Cloud's lips before resting his head against Cloud's, not being able to resist a taste to confirm that Cloud was as distressed as he was. "'_How lucky I am to have something that makes saying good-bye so hard._'" he whispered, closing his eyes to fend off the loss of his own control.

Cloud's watery eyes stared at Leon's closed lids. He wanted to say something but he had no voice; it was buried with emotion. Leon's eyes opened and gazed into crystal blue before they went wide with alarm. Cloud froze before he felt someone grab him from behind and roughly pull him back; Leon's immediate reaction being to lunge at Cloud's attacker, which he did, before he was struck down with a baseball bat, falling unconsciously into a heavy heap on the ground.

Cloud cried out for Leon before he knew who had attacked them but it didn't take long to figure out. Cloud was punched in the stomach by the guy with the baseball bat before whoever held him threw him roughly onto the ground, the blond curling up on himself with pain and nausea from the blow.

"Move them." Tony's voice ordered, a sickening rage bubbling dangerously through his words.

Cloud looked up at Tony before his eyes searched for Leon, who was lifted by one of Tony's friends, his arm dangling lifelessly as he was carried off.

"What are you doing? Leave him alone!" Cloud cried, trying to get to his feet to pursue Leon but his legs were kicked out from under him before he could take flight.

"Stay down and shut up!" Tony yelled, tearing off a strip of duct tape as Cloud's hands were yanked behind his back.

"Please don't hurt him! You're angry at me; leave him out of thi-" But Cloud was silenced as Tony covered his mouth with the tape.

"I said shut up!" Tony growled. He tossed the tape to someone standing behind Cloud who proceeded to bind his hands.

Cloud was lifted off the ground and led in the same direction Leon was carried off in. His eyes frantically searched the surrounding area for a witness or someone to call out for help to, but everyone was still either in school or at work. He could no longer see Leon but followed obediently only because he was being taken in the same direction Leon disappeared from.

"I warned you, Strife…" Tony said as he walked next to the blond, glancing over his shoulder momentarily before his eyes turned forward again. "I told you that you would regret your snippy attitude, didn't I?" He glanced over to the petrified blond, who turned to meet his stare.

Cloud tried to respond but it came out as nothing but muffled noises due to the tape covering his mouth.

Tony shook his head as they turned the corner, Cloud's leader shoving him roughly forward towards a car waiting for them behind a convenience store. One of Tony's friends was pulling out from the car, presumably after dumping Leon in the back seat. Cloud told himself that if Leon wasn't in the car with him he would fight like hell to prevent from getting into that car at all costs.

"Don't worry, Strife. We're only going a short distance away to avoid witnesses." One of the boys said, pulling out a knife from his pants. "Wouldn't want anyone hearing you, now, ya?"

Cloud's eyes went wide and he felt a tear trickle down his cheek. He was certain that if the tape wasn't preventing him from speaking he still wouldn't have been able to say anything.

As Cloud drew closer to the car, he prepared himself for a struggle but he saw Leon's body propped up in the back seat so he climbed in without a fight. As soon as the door slammed shut beside him, he leaned over to Leon and nuzzled the brunet's neck with his face, hoping to wake his boyfriend. He attempted to say Leon's name but only muffled sounds were making it past the tape and he froze when Tony climbed into the front passenger's seat and the guy with the knife slipped into the driver's seat.

Cloud watched as the driver glanced back at him with an angry sneer and shuddered at the thought of what they were planning on doing to him. He never thought they would take things this far though Leon did say that an escalated situation was escalated; they must have taking things up another level or two.

The car started before Cloud noticed two other cars surrounding them, presumably Tony's other friends along for the… whatever it was they were planning on doing to them. He looked back at Leon and pressed his body as close to the brunet as possible with his hands taped behind his back. His eyes surveyed the brunet's face as his heart pounded in his chest. He felt more tears slip from his eyes as a trickle of blood did the same down Leon's temple. Regardless of what happened to him, Cloud was going to do everything in his power to stay by Leon's side.

Tony turned his head and glanced back at the blond with rage-filled eyes. Cloud's eyes met his in a pleading manner which only served to make Tony smirk. Cloud knew there was no reasoning with him right now; how could he? He couldn't speak and Tony seemed to enjoy the terror in Cloud's eyes at the moment. The blond knew it was useless so he gave up, closing his eyes dejectedly and burying his face in the base of Leon's neck, taking in his scent for comfort. As long as they were together…

Cloud stayed that way for the remainder of the ride, not even bothering to try and remember where they we headed; his mind wasn't interested in those details. He just wanted Leon to wake up. It wasn't until the car stopped before Cloud opened his eyes and looked out of the window, his head still resting against Leon's shoulder.

He didn't turn around when the driver and Tony got out of the car nor did he watch as the back door beside him was opened. He felt someone's hands on him, getting a handle around his torso before pulling him out of the car, away from Leon.

Cloud tried to say Leon's name but the tape prevented any intelligible words from being understood and he felt relief that Tony was dragging Leon out of the car as well, no matter how small the relief.

Cloud was led towards a large structure which looked like it was under construction. He didn't recognise his surroundings but knew they were somewhere in an industrial sector. Large machines and smaller structures littered the surrounding area. Abandoned tools and pipes were amongst the rubble and Cloud planned on which pieces he would rush to if he were ever free enough to acquire some sort of weapon.

His eyes scanned the area but were interrupted every few seconds to ensure that Leon was being brought to the same place he was. Upon seeing the brunet a couple of feet behind him, still unconscious in Tony's arms, he continued plotting how he would attempt their escape if ever given the chance. Including Tony, there were seven of them in total; Cloud was not going to be able to fight his way out of this one; that, he knew. He was just hoping to get away with Leon… eventually.

Tony and his friends opened the sliding door of the largest structure and forced Cloud through, bringing Leon in behind him before shutting it again. Cloud tried saying something again but nothing could be understood by anyone; no one seemed to care.

"We're not looking to kill you, Strife, okay?" Tony said, dropping Leon to the ground by a concrete wall lined with plumbing. "But you're not going to be coming out of here the same way, either."

The guy holding Cloud shoved the blond to the ground, Cloud landing awkwardly on his chest as his hands were still bound behind his back. The blond used his knees to roll himself over onto his back and inwardly winced as his wrists took most of the pressure of his weight. Once on his back, Cloud lifted his head upwards so he could see Leon, who was being propped up against the wall.

"Are you listening to me?" Tony asked the blond, who was still watching as the guy near Leon began fastening the brunet's wrists to the metal piping with a couple of leather belts. "Hey!" Tony shouted, delivering a swift kick to Cloud's ribs.

Cloud cried out in pain and scrunched his knees to his chest, a natural defensive position to protect as much of himself as possible. His eyes squeezed shut and he grunted as a pounding pain matched his heart beat.

"I said listen to me, blondie!" Tony yelled, getting down on one knee in front of the recoiled blond and lifting his face to meet his. "Let that serve as a lesson, ya?" he almost whispered, his anger apparent with every word.

Cloud's eyes met Tony's for a brief second and Cloud couldn't help but verbally plead though his words were not coming out properly. He didn't care; he couldn't help but continue to plead for their release.

Tony smirked and shook his head. "I suppose no one would be able to hear you out here, anyhow…" He fingered the edge of the tape on Cloud's cheek and tore it off with one swift pull.

Cloud didn't allow himself wince at the pain or show any other sort of reaction; he only continued his pleading, which consequently pissed Tony off.

"Please, don't hurt him. Let him go. He has nothing to do with you and me. You can do whatever you want to me, but please let him go. He didn't know… Tony, please…"

Tony's eyes looked as though they were on fire and he stood up, shaking his head. "You're willing to pay alone for being fags… for the both of you?"

"Yes! Tony, you have to… please, let him go-"

"Shut up!" Tony shouted, startling the blond along with a few of his own friends. "Just shut up! You don't love him! You can't love him!"

"I do!" Cloud shouted back, tears streaming down his face. "Please-

Cloud was silenced by another kick, this time to his stomach which caused him to moan loudly and curl in on himself again.

"I guess we know the best way to hurt Strife, now." Tony said, something in his voice scaring Cloud to the very core. The blond looked up at Tony just as Tony looked over at Leon.

"N-no…" Cloud stuttered, his voice weak and coarse. "P-please…"

Tony looked down at Cloud before looking back at Leon. "Wake him."

"I'll do anything, Tony! Please, don't hurt him!" Cloud shouted, finding his voice just as one of Tony's friends knelt beside the brunet.

Tony's friend reached into his pocket and pulled out a little capsule. He snapped it before holding the ammonium carbonate capsule under the brunet's nose. Leon flinched before he instinctively pulled away only to find that he was restrained to the plumbing by the belts. His eyes went wide before they met with Tony's friend and he immediately lunged forward only to be stopped not even a foot away from the wall. He looked almost primitive as he growled before his eyes met Cloud's, the blond panting heavily on the ground, then his eyes widened with fear.

"Cloud…"

"Your boy toy is willing to take the fall for the both of you." Tony's friend said, his voice taunting and dark. "Isn't that sweet?"

"Cloud," Leon said again, his eyes never leaving the blond.

Cloud sobbed, his eyes going soft. "L-Leon…"

"Is this worth being fags over?" Tony asked, kneeling by Cloud again who was staring straight into Leon's eyes. "We tried to warn you what would happen if you kept up this disgusting behaviour," Tony continued. "But you didn't heed our warning and now…" He looked up at one of his friends who withdrew the knife from his pants again. "We begin our lesson."

The boy with the knife walked over to Cloud, who was now staring at the knife with wide eyes.

"Fuck you!" Leon shouted, straining against he belts again, trying to get as close to Cloud as possible. "Leave him alone! I'll kill you if you-" But the brunet was silenced by a kick to the stomach, causing him to slump over and try to regain his breath again.

"Listen, I'll do anything. Please, don't hurt him anymore." Cloud bargained with a steady voice. "I won't fight you; I won't resist. Please just leave him alone."

"Cloud, no…" Leon huffed, eyes meeting crystal blue again. "Don't say that."

"It's too bad your friend had to come at me with a gun." the boy with the knife said, taking a few steps closer to Cloud. "I guess it's really just too bad that you had a lip on you in the first place, Strife."

"I'm sorry!" Cloud said, his eyes meeting the boy's.

"No, you're not." Leon interjected, his voice firm and angry. "Cloud, you did nothing-" And the brunet was silenced with another kick to the stomach.

"Stop!" Cloud screamed, turning over to his side in attempts to move towards Leon but someone grabbed him by the legs and pulled him further away from his boyfriend. Cloud kicked at whoever clutched his legs but stopped when the knife drew close to his stomach.

"How pathetic is this?" one boy asked, shaking his head at Leon, who was straining against the belts once more trying to get as close to Cloud as possible. "We can hurt him, but I think watching Strife get hurt hurts him more than anything else we could do to him."

Leon's eyes flashed up to meet the boy who had just spoken and for once Cloud saw pure and uncompromised fury within the blue-gray pools. Tony must have seen it too, though he took pleasure rather than fear from the sight.

"This is true, isn't it?" Tony said with an evil smirk. "We can hurt them both." With that, he stood up and kicked Cloud's side causing the blond to cry out in pain. Cloud's arms struggled against the tape binding without avail and he curled up again to protect himself the best he could.

Leon growled at the attack and fought against his restraints, his heart pounding in his chest wildly. Tony delivered another kick to the blond; the sound of Cloud's cry shaking something up in Leon he never felt before. Leon fought more violently against the straps of leather but they weren't budging. One of Tony's friends grabbed Cloud by his shirt and dragged him a little closer to Leon, but not by much, and lifted the blond's shirt to expose his soft skin. He held the knife over Cloud's flat stomach and looked up at Leon.

"What colour is a fag's blood?" he asked with a smirk before cutting a shallow line across the smooth flesh.

"No!" Leon shouted, now in a full fury against his bindings as Cloud's voice cracked, tears streaming down his face. Nothing was in focus for him; he couldn't register what was happening around him but all he knew was Cloud was being tortured right in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it. "No! Stop!"

"Hmm… red." the boy snickered. "Who would've thunk it?"

Cloud cried on the ground before one of the boys cut his hands loose, pinning them to the ground above his head. Cloud looked up at his wrists, turning purple from pressure as one of the boys knelt on them heavily. Another boy grabbed his legs and held them against the ground as another approached with an evil smile.

"I'm going to fuckin' kill you!" Leon shouted, still fighting against his restraints, his body being flung forward full force. "Leave him alone or I'll kill you!"

"Shut up!" Tony yelled over Leon to no avail. The brunet continued to shout out threats, trying to reach the leather on the opposite wrist with his other hand but there was not enough give for him to reach. "Shut up!" Tony yelled again before fire flashed in his eyes. He grabbed one of Cloud's hands and knelt on his wrist as if he meant to break it. "Shut up!"

"Please, don't!" Cloud cried out, serving to infuriate Leon further. "Tony, please…"

Tony's eyes twitched as they met with the lightening in Leon's blue-gray before he twisted his knee, feeling a snap within the blond's wrist. Cloud cried out in pain as his bone snapped and Leon went deathly quiet.

"I told you to shut up!" Tony screamed at Leon, who was watching Cloud writhe in pain, one arm and his legs still pinned to the ground. Once released from under Tony's knee, the blond brought his wrist against his chest and sobbed. "Listen to me when I talk to you, Leon, or you're only going to cause _him_ more pain."

Leon's eyes were wide with disbelief as they met Tony's before dropping on the blond again. He couldn't believe Tony actually broke Cloud's wrist. Along with Cloud's wrist, something in Leon broke and his eyes saw everything in a whole new light.

Cloud remained sobbing on the floor, pinning by the weight of two others as the other boys accompanying them both sneered and frowned at the display. His own heartbeat was the only thing the brunet heard and things began to make sense. It all made complete sense now and his inner conflict was finally over.

"Cloud," Tony started, looking down at the blond with mockingly sad eyes. "Gods, your eyes are so beautiful when you cry." A couple of the boys looked over at Tony with confusion. "We need to teach him a lesson, don't we?" he asked, looking up at his friends who nodded in agreement.

"Tony, please don't…" Leon asked lowly, calmly, knowing all too well what that look in Tony's eyes meant. "Don't…"

"This fag needs to learn that being queer is immoral!" Tony shouted, standing up and looking down at the blond. His hands lowered to his belt buckle. "He needs to see that what he is… what he does with his _lover_ is wrong!" He began taking off his belt causing Leon's stomach to sink.

Tony's friends looked at him questioningly before looking at each other with confusion. They didn't understand what Tony was thinking or want to really understand what he was planning on doing.

"Tony?" one of them asked, taking a step closer but stopped when Tony started unfastening his pants. "What the fuck… What are you doing?"

"This fuckin' queer is about to learn the error of his ways." Tony answered, his eyes turning lustful as he looked down at the blond, who seemed to just have caught on to what was going on.

Cloud watched, horrified, as Tony continued removing his pants before true terror hit.

"Tony, don't do this…" Leon said, his voice a little more pleading than Cloud had ever heard before. Cloud turned his head at the sound of Leon's voice and was immediately shocked to find tears streaming down Leon's cheeks, his eyes glassy with unshed tears, and his lips trembling as if he were freezing cold. "Please don't hurt him, Tony. I'm begging you…"

Cloud's eyes watched his boyfriend as the brunet's eyes pleaded with Tony. His eyes were so full of sorrow and his expression showed pure agony. The sight, unfortunate of the circumstances, was the most beautiful thing Cloud had ever seen.

"Leon…" Cloud said lowly, forgetting for a moment what was happening due to the sight of his boyfriend's emotion. The Ice Prince had melted; Leon was crying, something Cloud thought he wasn't capable of showing outwardly.

Leon's eyes dropped from Tony's to Cloud's, the blue-gray swirl no longer brewing an epic storm but opened up a whole new world within those orbs. Cloud felt like he was peering into Leon's very soul. Leon's head looked like it weighed a thousand pounds on his shoulders and it was clear as day to anyone looking that Leon was helpless; he knew he couldn't do anything but watch and it was the worst torture anyone could ever inflict on him.

Cloud was still in awe as he became lost in those eyes and the urge to rush over and comfort Leon overcame him. He didn't care what happened to him; he just wanted to make Leon's pain go away.

By this time Tony had pulled his pants down his thighs and his friends were watching with horrified disgust. If Cloud had been looking at him rather than Leon, he would have seen a rage-induced lust growing in Tony's eyes, something that was not missed by Tony's friends. A few of them nervously looked at one another, taking a few steps back as he seemed completely consumed by his hate. Or so they thought.

"This is going to be a good lesson, Strife." Tony practically growled before looking over his shoulder at his friends. "Who has the knife? Bring it here."

One of the boys slowly took a few steps towards Tony and handed him the knife, asking him what he was doing but the question was ignored.

"Tony, please… Don't do this…" Leon asked, his watery eyes lifting up and meeting Tony's weakly.

Tony sneered at Leon just as Cloud turned his head. "W-what… what are you doing?" he asked, teeth chattering.

"What _are_ you doing?" the boy holding Cloud's legs asked, lifting his hands and backing away from the scene.

"We're teaching him a lesson!" Tony growled, lowing himself so he straddled Cloud's hips to prevent the blond from getting away. "He needs to be taught-"

"Why did you… your pants…" the boy asked who gave up holding Cloud's arm down.

Tony grinned and leaned down so his face was inches away from Cloud's. "Something we should have done a long time ago, right, Strife? Before all shit hit the fan?" His lips were barely touching Cloud's skin.

"I'm glad we didn't." Cloud answered, shifting in attempts to get loose but stopped with a startled, pain-filled cry as Tony pinned his broken wrist to the ground.

"Tony, you have-" Leon tried before being interrupted by Tony.

"You shut up! I will break his other wrist if you don't keep your mouth shut!"

Leon closed his mouth and took a deep breath through his nose. His lip quivered and he had no idea how he was going to handle the situation.

"Tony, lets get out of here." one of the boys said. Obviously things were going in a completely different direction then they had planned.

"Not until Strife gets what coming to him." Tony practically purred, rocking his hips against Cloud's and dragging the tip of the knife down a tear-streaked cheek.

His friends looked at one another and a couple took off as though the building had caught fire.

"Don't do this…" Cloud pleaded, looking straight up into Tony's eyes.

Tony let out a low moan and a couple more of his friends edged their way out of the building, soon followed by another. "I'm really going to enjoy this, Cloud. Play your cards right, I'll make sure you do too."

"No…" Cloud sobbed. "Get off of me." the blond said, voice trembling. His stomach turned at the though of what was about to happen to him. He could hear the straps holding Leon to the piping shift but Leon wasn't able to get away, no matter how hard he tried to break free.

Tony's rocking motion continued and soon he was the only one left in the building with Cloud and Leon. The brunet silently cried to himself as he watched his boyfriend get molested by Tony, the feeling of powerlessness and inability to help the vulnerable blond scaring him.

"Why did I take so long to reclaim what's mine?" Tony asked, his head dipping lower as his tongued a tear trickling down the blond's cheek. Cloud turned his head away as a sob escaped his lips.

"He's not yours anymore, Tony." Leon said, his voice regaining a little composure. "He's mine. Please, I'm asking- no, I'm begging you! Please, let him go. Let him go and you can take out your rage on me." He didn't care to soften Tony's temper. If Tony got angry enough at him, he might leave Cloud alone to come after Leon with the knife. That was he plan… His only option at this point.

"Hear that, Strife?" Tony asked, his hips now thrusting down harder against the pinned blond. "Your boyfriend is begging me." He let out a long moan and bit down on the blond's shoulder, the knife traveling down the blond's throat before pausing against his trachea.

"Put the knife down." Leon continued, something bubbling up inside him that he knew he would have no control over. It didn't matter anymore. Cloud was what mattered. Cloud - and Cloud only. It was all so clear now. He hated himself for shying away for as long as he did. "You let him go and I took him. He's my boyfriend, Tony. Not yours. Please, don't hurt my boyfriend."

"Shut up!" Tony shouted, lifting his head as the words escaped his mouth. "I had him first!" He looked down at the blond, who seemed frozen with fright from where the blade was resting. Tony gave Cloud's wrist a squeeze which drew a cry of pain from the blond. "Keep screaming, Cloud." Tony demanded, looking back down at Cloud and twisting the broken wrist again. "I love it when you vocalize. I've always loved it when we were together."

"Tony, stop!" Leon shouted, Tony's words disgusting him and the sound of Cloud's cries shattering his heart and giving him an extra boost of adrenaline. "You have to stop!" He couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He couldn't reason with Tony. "Leave him alone! Don't hurt-"

"Why?" Tony shouted, the knife trembling in his hand, pressed against Cloud's throat hard enough that a small bead of blood began to form at the tip. "Why the fuck would I not hurt the boy who hurt me?" Tony's voice trembled with rage.

Leon's eyes went slack. His new-found clarity was right there.

_Let go, Leon. You know it now; you see it clear as day. Don't be afraid anymore._

Leon's lips trembled and his eyes filled with new tears. "Please, don't…"

"Why?" Tony screamed again, this time his whole body shook with emotion.

"Because I love him!" Leon screamed, his voice breaking as he sobbed, his whole body slumping. "I love him, Tony. Please, I'll do anything to protect him…"

Tony's face fell as he watched the normally unmoved boy break in front of him. Cloud's head turned towards Leon, his eyes wide with shock and a single tear escaping from the corner of his eye.

"I love him." Leon said again before his eyes dropped to Cloud. It was the answer Leon was searching for since he held Cloud in his arms for the first time. It was the solution to the struggle he was having with himself and the one emotion causing so much conflict in his mind, his mind trying to protect the brunet from feeling too much. He didn't need to hide anymore. He didn't need to keep his feelings from Cloud; to be jaded. He wanted Cloud to know every detail about his miserable existence and he wanted Cloud to be the one person in his life he could trust with everything that made up him, his life, his past, and his feelings. Crystal-blue eyes softened and the blond's lips trembled. Leon shook his head as he gazed into Cloud's eyes. "I love you, Cloud." he sobbed. He sniffled and blinked out more tears. "I'm so sorry. I love you so much. I'm not going to hide it anymore, I swear to you. I love you."

"L-Leon…" Cloud sobbed. He had forgotten about the boy on top of him as he searched the brunet's face, so full of sorrow but his eyes showed more than they've ever had. "I love you."

"I love you, Cloud. So much…" Leon said with a weak voice.

Tony seemed stunned at the display, his body stilling as his eyes went from Cloud to Leon. There was something so desperate in Leon's voice that caught him off guard and he began wondering what it was he was doing.

Leon let out another sob and leaned his body as close to Cloud as he could against his restraints. "I promise never to hide from you again, Cloud. I'm going to tell you everything I'm thinking, everything I'm feeling from now on. I didn't know it before, baby, I'm so sorry. I was scared but I'm going to trust you with everything. I love you so much."

Cloud sobbed Leon's name and reached out towards Leon with his undamaged hand, causing Tony to flinch and look down at the blond. He brought himself up on his knees and his heart beat wildly in his chest. He got up off the blond and redressed, eyes terrified as he watched Cloud pull himself towards the brunet, body struggling with every move.

"Leon…" Cloud said weakly, eyes spilling tears as he inched his way closer.

"I…" Tony began but realized that his words would have only fallen on deaf ears. There was nothing else in this world to those two boys other than each other. Tony's body shuddered as he backed away slowly, realizing now, after such an emotional outburst, what he would have done. The thought scared him and he turned and fled away.

"Come here, Cloud." Leon said softly as if the boy wasn't already doing so. "Come help me."

"I'll help you." Cloud said, his voice just as soft as the brunet's. He lifted himself onto his hands and knees, whimpering as his wrist took on some of his weight. He lifted his wrist off the ground and pulled himself closer to his boyfriend, his entire body aching and protesting every move from the damage Tony and his friends had inflicted. "I'll help you…" he repeated, breath coming quick and heavy.

Leon continued to strain against his bindings as Cloud drew closer, the sight of the blond's blood dripping to the ground from the slash across his stomach causing the brunet to silently cry, his voice not finding its way from his throat.

Finally, Cloud collapsed against Leon's body, the brunet restlessly trying to hold the boy but his arms couldn't reach that far. "Baby, I need you to untie me. We're almost there."

"Leon…" Cloud looked up, his eyes taking in the brunet's delicate features. He lifted his hands and tried to unfasten one of the belts, his breath hitching from pain as he used his broken wrist. "I'll get you out." he murmured lowly, weakly, using his good hand to free one of Leon's.

As soon as Leon's hand was free, he practically ripped the other belt from his wrist before scooping the blond up in his arms, holding him tightly against his body as a swell of emotion overtook him again. Both boys trembled in each other's arms and they cried out all of the relief from being together after what could have happened.

-o-o-o-

Thanks for reading! One more to go!


	31. Chapter 29

A/N: B'ahh! Last chapter! Go read!

-o-o-o-

Cloud woke up in a daze, his body aching all over. His eyes fluttered against the light before he glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. It didn't take him long to realize that he was in a hospital. Again.

Baby-blue eyes quickly scanned the room, finding himself alone, before he let them close again, bringing his hand to his face to rub off some off the stress. His eyes opened again to find his hand and wrist in a caste and the horrors of what happened the day before immediately came flooding back to him.

Cloud sniffled as his eyes opened again. He looked towards the door of his hospital room and saw a few nurses scurrying around, obviously busy with other patients. He looked around the room again to find some sort of clue of the time. His clothes were folded neatly on a chair a few feet away from his bed. His phone was probably still in his pants pocket.

Pushing down the sheets that covered him, Cloud frowned at the hospital gown before attempting to sit up. His hissed in pain as his muscles and ribs objected to the motion. The slash across his stomach burned as well but he pushed past the pain and swung his feet to the floor. Before he could stand up, a voice announced a presence.

"Where are you off to?"

Cloud smiled and turned his head to see Leon standing at the door. His smile quickly turned into a frown at the sight of a bandage taped to his boyfriend's right temple. His frown deepened as Leon moved towards him, his posture sluggish and the boy in obvious pain himself.

Cloud remained still as Leon drew closer, soon taking a seat beside Cloud.

"I was going to find out what time it is." Cloud said, raising his good hand and touching the bandage on the brunet's head gently.

"Nine thirty. Saturday morning." Leon answered, taking the blond's hand in his own and lowering it from his bandage. "Just a cut. They kept me overnight to make sure I didn't have a concussion." he explained before delicately taking Cloud's damaged hand with his other.

Cloud frowned and shook his head. "Did yesterday really happen?" he asked lowly.

Leon licked his lips before nodding, his eyes jaded. After Cloud had unfastened his hands from the piping, Leon didn't care about anything else except holding the blond. His heart yearned for him and he couldn't pull the boy close enough to him to stop the pain. They cried. Leon never cried so hard in his life, even when his mother died. He was sad then but that was her decision. Cloud was helpless. Cloud was a victim and Leon couldn't stop what was happening to the blond. He didn't know why Tony took off when he did nor did he care. After the flood gates were open, he couldn't stop telling Cloud how much he loved him.

Cloud had clung to him so desperately as he cried in his arms. Both were in so much pain, their physical pain not even registering against the emotional pain they were feeling. The only cure was to hold one another. And that's what they did for a long time after Tony had left, not able to stop telling each other how much they loved the other.

Cloud was soon so exhausted. The slash on his stomach and broken wrist throbbed and soon he began to slip into unconsciousness, his body telling him it had had enough for one night before his eyes closed. Leon pulled his phone out from his pocket and dialled for an ambulance, panic setting in from not knowing the extent of Cloud's injuries.

His next call was to Zell, who fled to the hospital to meet the boys as they arrived. After Leon's examination, the brunet demanded to see Cloud before uttering another word. Cloud's stomach was stitched up and a caste was applied to his broken wrist. The rest of his injuries were bruises that would heal with time. The doctors promised to keep a close eye on him until he woke up and gave them both analgesics to get them through the night.

Zell was beside himself with horror as Leon explained what had happened. Leon cried and Zell held him, rubbing his back and promising him that everything was going to be all right. Zell was torn apart at how much Leon had changed over the course of the night. He'd never seen someone in more emotional pain than the brunet that night. It broke his heart.

Leon swore revenge, his rage making it past is sobbing. He was going to go after the boys who did this to Cloud, but Zell gently shushed him, shaking his head as he told him that it would only cause more pain. Zell promised him that those boys would get what's coming to them and in a way that wouldn't get Leon arrested. That would only serve to keep Leon and Cloud separated and that wasn't necessary.

"It feels like it was a dream." Cloud commented, bringing Leon's hands to his face.

Leon caressed Cloud's cheeks with the back of his hands before running his hands through Cloud's hair. "It's over now." he said as he drew closer to the blond's lips. He still wanted to take matters in his own hands but Zell had assured him that leaving it to the officials would be the preferable means of dealing with Tony.

As their lips met, Cloud's eyes began to tear and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. Once get got a taste, he needed more. He ignored the pain in his ribs as he arched himself close to the brunet, who guided him down against the mattress, never breaking their kiss as he hovered over his boyfriend.

Their kiss lasted a long while before Cloud finally ended it for some air. His eyes stared up dreamily at blue-gray before he smiled. "I love you."

Leon's eyes softened, as did his features, and for the first time Cloud saw a small gentle smile caress the brunet's features. "I love you, too."

Cloud's eyes glazed over as he stared at the brunet's face, drinking in as much of the sight as he could. His chest tightened and a smile graced his features before Leon leaned down and kissed him tenderly.

When Leon lifted his head again, Cloud's eyes remained closed and he sighed happily before crystal-blue was revealed from behind his lids once more. "I always knew it. You _do_ have a really pretty smile."

Leon huffed, his expression once again not showing anything, and he shook his head. His eyes went soft as he gazed down at his lover. "I guess you called it, then."

Cloud chuckled and pulled Leon's head down again to recapture his lips once more.

The boys stayed close to one another for a while longer before a doctor walked into the room, examining Cloud's chart before looking at the two cuddling in bed together. "How are you feeling, Cloud?" he asked, eyes diverted back down to the chart.

"I'm all right." Cloud answered, not missing Leon's expression as the brunet rolled his eyes. "What?" he asked, turning to his boyfriend with a silly smile. "I really mean it this time."

Leon's eyes stared into Cloud's and a small smile appeared on his lips once again, stopping the blond's heart. "I believe you."

The doctor explained that the boys were good to go home as soon as they wanted and advised them to take it easy for the next couple of days. Cloud frowned as he thought about what he was supposed to be doing this weekend: packing and moving.

"How's this supposed to work?" Cloud asked once the doctor left the room. "I'm supposed to be packing up my stuff for when my guardian calls.

Leon bit his lower lip and his eyes looked spaced for a moment before he focused on the blond again. "I met your guardian." he said in a low, nonchalant voice.

Cloud's eyes searched the brunet's face almost frantically. "What? When?"

Leon sighed softly. "He came to visit you last night but you were still unconscious." The brunet watched Cloud absorb this piece of information before he continued. "We've actually had a lot of visitors."

"What's he like?" Cloud asked, ignoring the fact that others had come to see him.

Leon looked down at the bed before his eyes met the blond's again. "You'll meet him. Lets get going, okay?"

Cloud frowned as he watched Leon get up from the bed, his features not offering anything of what he was thinking, and the brunet offered his hand to help Cloud up. Cloud accepted and was pulled into a warm embraced as soon as he was on his feet. The pain in his heart made his physical pain unnoticeable.

Leon and Cloud walked slowly back home from the hospital, not wanting to call for a ride from Zell or Irvine as they just wanted to be together, alone. Leon held Cloud's uninjured hand as he led them down the street, the heat from the midday sun carrying in the wind to make a pleasant warm breeze, defrosting Cloud's frayed nerves. Leon was as quiet as he was when they had started home from school the day before and Cloud didn't know what he could say to lessen the pain they both must have been feeling. He wasn't sure what he could say or whether he wanted to say anything at all. Nothing would stop what was going to happen when they got home.

"You'll be introduced to your guardian when we get home." Leon said lowly, his eyes not leaving the road ahead of them. "He's there now."

Cloud's lips tightened and he nodded to confirm he heard what the brunet had just said.

"I like him and I'm sure you're going to like him, too." Leon continued, his eyes lifting up to inspect Cloud's expression: tight and sombre. "Everything is going to work out, Cloud."

Cloud wasn't sure if Leon really meant it or he was trying to make Cloud feel better about who he was going to be staying with. Leon was the sort of person to try and make the best of it, even if only to make Cloud accept what was happening easier.

"I'm sure it will." Cloud finally said after a moment of silence. "That's not the part I'm concerned about, though." His eyes showed tears that had yet to fall. "I'm really going to miss you."

Leon sighed and wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulder, pulling the boy closer to him. They walked that way until they met with the front porch of their home. Both paused and Leon felt Cloud take a deep breath, though the blond was silent.

"He's here now?" Cloud asked, eyes scanning the front of the house.

Leon nodded and turned the blond so they were facing one another. "No matter what happens, you have me, Cloud." Blue-gray eyes searched baby-blue before he let out a soft sigh of his own. "I love you. Nothing is going to change that."

Cloud's heart skipped a beat; he wasn't used to hearing that and every time Leon said it, it felt like he was still in a dream. "I love you, too." the blond whispered, wiping a tear from his cheek.

Leon's lips gave a slight twitch and he kissed Cloud chastely before taking his hand again and led him to the front door. Cloud's hand was squeezing his, though Leon was sure Cloud wasn't aware that he was doing it.

Leon opened the door and waited for Cloud to take a step in. Cloud took a deep breath, not looking forward to meeting his guardian, before he finally went inside, Leon a pace behind him.

Cloud's eyes darted around the front entrance.

"Hey!" Xander chimed, a huge smile playing across his lips as he came from the living room.

"There he is!" Eric chuckled from behind Brad and Irvine.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as he took in his friends all gathered around in the living room, wide smiles on all of their faces. Boxes were everywhere and it looked as though a tornado hit the house. All of that didn't matter though. Nothing registered as he continued to search for the one stranger that was going to be taking him away.

Brantley chuckled as Cloud's face remained stoic and his eyes continued to dance around the house from face to face. "Gaia to Cloud! Come in, Strife."

Cloud took a couple of steps towards the living room, feeling incredibly defensive, before he knocked a box over with his leg. He glanced down momentarily before his eyes searched the surrounding area. Leon took Cloud's hand in his own and led the blond the rest of the way into the living room. Once there, Cloud searched the hallway with his eyes, soon becoming too nervous to move. Leon wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and kissed the side of his head.

"He's in shock." Irvine said with a chuckle. "Poor boy."

Cloud's eyes met Irvine's before they settled on Zell. Zell smiled and shook his head as he walked up to him. He paused in front of Cloud before looking over his shoulder at Irvine. Irvine smiled back at Zell then Zell turned towards Cloud. His smile widened. "I'm the boss of you now." he said childishly.

Cloud's eyes met with Zell's and for a brief moment he felt like all of the air was just sucked out of the room. "Wha…"

Zell's smile remained though he narrowed his eyes. "I'm. The. Boss. Of. You. Now." he repeated, punctuating each word with a tap on Cloud's nose.

A tear escaped Cloud's eye and his body began to tremble. He felt Leon's hands rub his arms up and down. He glanced over his shoulder to find Leon watching him with happy eyes. "I told you you'd like your new guardian." he said softly, another gentle smile tugging at his lips.

Cloud was about to laugh but his emotion got caught up within him, making the laugh seem like a sob. More tears escaped his eyes as he turned around and met with Zell's eyes, which were practically glowing.

"Because you and Leon are both almost of age, I can be a guardian for the both of you." Zell explained. "I signed the papers a few days ago. You, my friend, are officially my bitch."

Cloud laughed through his tears before shaking his head. This had to be a dream. "Yes?" the blond asked, covering his mouth with a shaky hand. When Zell nodded, Cloud threw his arms around Zell, squeezing his eyes shut from relief. Zell wrapped his arms around Cloud and smiled at Leon, who was smiling at them.

Everyone in the room was affected by the intense emotional display and the happiness that Cloud's anguish was finally coming to an end. Xander wiped a tear from his cheek as he leaned back into Irvine, who wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and kissed the top of his head. Brad crossed his arms and smiled happily at Cloud, shaking his head. Eric and Brantley chuckled, both overcome by emotion but keeping it in check. Cloud opened his eyes and looked at his friends from over Zell's shoulder. He blinked out a few tears and sniffled as he returned each of their smiles.

"I'm so sorry." Zell said lowly, rubbing the bond's back lightly. "I should have done something sooner." Cloud pulled back from the hug and looked up into Zell's face. "I knew what happened to Leon and I knew you were going through something similar. I should have stepped in before it all came to this."

Cloud laughed and shook his head. "I wouldn't trade this moment for the world, Zell. Thank you." But before his thanks could leave his mouth, Cloud sobbed again and gave the other blond another hug.

Zell's eyes met with Leon's and he smiled at the brunet. Leon's lips twitched again and he crossed his arms over his chest. Zell took a deep breath. "I never thought I'd see the day when Leon would be smiling." He turned the blond around to face his boyfriend. "You did that, Cloud." He pointed at Leon, who now had a small smile playing on his lips. "I've never seen him happier. I never thought he'd ever recognize love. Look what you've done to him." Zell chuckled as Cloud reached out for Leon, who took a step closer before pulling the blond into his arms. They kissed, not caring that they were being watched by the most important people in their lives.

Xander looked up at Irvine, who was smiling back down at him before he lowered his head and kissed his new boyfriend.

"Oh Gods!" Brantley cried out. "I didn't realize this was a make out party. There're too many boys here!" Both sets of couples broke their kisses with a laugh, well, all but Leon, and playfully glared at Brantley. Brantley grinned and met eyes with Cloud. "Do you know how _hard_ it was not to tell you that Zell was your guardian?"

Cloud raised his eyebrows as his wiped away the last of his tears. "When the hell did you guys find out? Why wasn't I informed?"

The boys looked at one another for a moment before Brad started explaining. "When Zell signed the papers, naturally he'd tell his best friend who is dating our best friend."

"I told the guys so we could be happy for you instead of sad that you were leaving." Xander said, grinning at Cloud.

"And we didn't think it would be appropriate for us to tell you." Eric continued. "It wasn't our place, so we waited until Zell told you guys."

"You mean you couldn't pick up on our hints?" Brantley asked, rolling his eyes.

"Hints?" Cloud asked, looking back at Leon who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Yesterday," Eric said. "I told you that I was _positive_ that they were nice people." He paused then shook his head. "I didn't want to say 'he'. It might have given it away that I knew who it was." He grinned happily at the blond.

"I couldn't stop grinning at lunch." Xander said. "You and Leon looked so depressed and I knew you guys were going to be so happy when you found out." Xander winked at Cloud. "Then you had to call me out on it. I didn't know what to say."

"So I had to tell you that Xander and Irvine are an item now." Brantley said, smiling happily. "I guess it was the best time to tell you since Xander couldn't stop smiling for you two."

Xander blushed and turned to hide his face in Irvine's chest. Cloud chuckled and Leon's arm pulled the blond closer against his body.

"Life's full of surprises." Brantley said with a wink. "I told you so yesterday, didn't I? I told you that if it can work out with _Leon_ then it could work out for _you_. I'm surprised you guys didn't pick up on any of this."

"Especially after I said that Dorothy _is _going home, you just didn't know it yet." Brad added with a smile. "Gods, Cloud. We were offering this information on a silver plate."

Cloud covered his eyes again with his hands and laughed. "I'm a dumb blond. Of course I didn't get it." He looked up at Leon over his shoulder. "What's your excuse?"

Leon chuckled and pinched Cloud's side. "I wasn't really listening to them. I was trying to keep from getting too emotional. Mental arithmetic."

Cloud giggled and leaned up to place a kiss against Leon's lips. "When did you find out?"

Leon looked down at his boyfriend and sighed. "Last night. You still hadn't woken up and Zell stayed with me." He paused and looked over at Zell, who nodded at him. "I was… in a bad place. I was scared for you and completely miserable. Zell stayed with me and told me that he did this for us because…" He paused again and looked down at his boyfriend. "Because we need each other."

Cloud bit his trembling lower lip and looked over at Zell. Zell smiled at him. "I couldn't see you two separated, not after seeing how much you mean to one another."

Cloud smiled and looked around the half-packed room covered in boxes. "You're leaving your home."

Zell chuckled and shook his head. "This is a house. We're leaving this house. I have a new one lined up for us and it only adds ten minutes to my commute to school."

"And!" Xander chimed in. "Zell and Irvine would die to be apart over the weekends, seeing how they're partners in crime, and I happen to be dating one of them. Free ride to see you guys on the weekends!"

"And we happen to be friends with the guy dating the partner in crime to your guardian!" Brantley laughed. "Free ride for all!"

The boys laughed and Irvine grinned, catching Cloud's eyes and giving him a nod telling him he approved.

"Really?" Cloud asked, tears feeling as though they were building up in his eyes again.

Irvine chuckled and tightened his arms around Xander. "Gotta keep the boyfriend happy."

Cloud glanced around the room with a smile fixed on his lips. His friends had come over to help him, Leon, and Zell pack for the move. The house didn't even look like the same house he left before school on Friday; boxes pilled everywhere and their belongings scattered among the mess.

Xander smiled and grabbed a box. "We still have a lot of work to do."

"Party here tonight and we'll finish off tomorrow." Zell said. "I have a moving truck reserved for Monday."

The boys began packing again, trying to shoo Cloud and Leon away. They all agreed that the two shouldn't help because of their injuries but the lovers couldn't not stay to help. The atmosphere was light and pleasant and they really wanted to be around their friends so they were eventually allowed to help with light packing as long as they didn't overdo it.

"I told you I had to help Irvine out with something this weekend." Xander said, packing a stack of movies into a box.

"And you said you'd see where it goes from there." Cloud added, winking at Xander before giving him a devilish grin. "Plans?"

Xander faked a cough and covered his mouth with his hand, avoiding Irvine's questioning eyes like the plague.

Sunday was spent much the same way as Saturday night. The boys joked around as they packed, throwing teasing insults at one another, and relishing in being in each others' company. It was all almost too much for Cloud and he still felt like he was in a dream. He didn't want to wake up.

Things seemed surreal before a thought occurred to him and a frown replaced the smile that had been occupying his lips for the past twenty-four hours. Zell was the first to notice and pulled the blond outside. He took a seat on the step and patted the spot next to him.

"What's on your mind, blondie?"

Cloud sat down and cradled his broken wrist with his other hand. "About what happened to me…" he began, eyes looking down at the pavement. "I'm just worried about them."

"Your friends?" Zell asked, as if he needed clarification. "They'll be fine, Cloud."

Cloud's eyes met with Zell's and his frown deepened. "What if Tony and his friends… they might take it all out on them."

Zell shook his head and wrapped an arm around the smaller blond's shoulder. "It's taken care of, Cloud. I'm your guardian now. Tony and his friends won't be touching your friends."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, eyes narrowing.

Zell gave a half smirk and looked down at the pavement. "They attacked you and Leon after the fact that you two were in my care. That gives me a lot of power seeing how you guys are still considered minors." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I called the police and am pressing charges. He'll more than likely be found guilty of kidnapping, aggravated assault, uttering threats with a weapon, deliberately harming others with a weapon, attempted rape, and… breaking and entering, if you can believe it." Zell let out a chuckle and shook his head. "Tony and his friends probably won't be walking around free for a while. Not with charges like that. I'm pushing for them to be tried as adults considering the seriousness of the crimes." Zell sighed then focused on something in the distance. "Throw as much shit at them and see what sticks." He looked back at Cloud. "Leon wanted to go after them." Cloud frowned then looked down at the ground. "I told him then that you two weren't going to be separated so he shouldn't do anything that would get him arrested." A grin reappeared on Zell's lips. "That would have ruined my master plan. Anyways, Tony and his friends… not a problem."

Cloud's eyes were dazed before he blinded them back into focus. "You did all that?"

Zell smirked and nodded. "No one touches my friends, Cloud. And for the other Tony-supporters who want to give your friends a hard time over what happened, well, lets just say that those boys in there are my friends too." He nodded his head towards the house. "Irvine's even dating one of them. The little bully kiddies will have to deal with what us college boys like to call our own brand of justice. They have their entourage, well so do we." Cloud frowned before Zell continued. "It won't come to that, Cloud. It's over now. Tony's friends know now what Tony is and why he was mad at you and Leon. His support has fizzled and your friends will be just fine."

Cloud smiled and looked down to the pavement. "I'm not used to having so much support."

Zell grinned and gave the smaller blond a quick one-arm embrace. "Get used to it."

-.-.-.-

Monday morning came around so quickly. Both Leon and Cloud hardly had any sleep the night before due to nerves and… other activities. It didn't show, though, as both were excited to see their new home.

The night before was a happy-sad occasion as the boys said good-bye to their friends before thy left for their own homes. Cloud didn't miss how Irvine and Xander seemed attached at the hip when they left, giving each other subtle glances that probably meant so much more to them than an outside observer could decipher.

When Irvine returned Monday morning to help with the move, Zell grinned at him and received a stupid grin back, Leon and Cloud shaking their heads at what that could mean. Cloud made a mental note to call Xander a little later to offer up tips on how to deal with the fall out from Zell later. Mainly, though, he just wanted the dirty details.

Irvine packed his car as full as he could and the moving truck was filled with all of their combined belongings. Cloud and Leon hopped up into the front of the moving truck with Zell, who honked his horn at Irvine to give him a little scare. He received the finger in return.

"Zell?" Cloud started, voice low. "Do you mind if we make a quick stop before we head out?"

"Where to, blondie?" Zell asked cheerfully.

"The school." Cloud said, eyes meeting Leon's. "I want to see Principal Sephiroth before we leave."

Zell grinned with a nod. "Sure thing." He honked at Irvine again and signalled a left hand turn instead of a right.

Once at the school, Cloud hopped out of the truck and made his way to the principal's office. He offered the receptionist a small smile and asked if the principal was available. She smiled warmly at Cloud and pointed to his usual seat. He smiled back at her before slumping into his chair and letting out a small sigh. He looked around the office, taking in the familiar sight for the last time. He felt a little strange being at school and not attending classes, but this meeting was important to him before he left to his new life.

This is where he first saw Leon. He had no idea then of the things that would happen to him afterwards as he stared at the beautiful brunet, jaded boy who snapped at the principal no longer than minutes after he arrived at Garden Brook High. So much has changed…

"Cloud?" the principal said, holding his office door open as an invite for the blond to enter. Cloud stood up from his chair and made his way to the other all-too familiar chair across from the principal's desk. This time, though, Sephiroth didn't take his own seat but leaned against the desk a few feet from Cloud. "How are you feeling?" His eyes surveyed Cloud's injuries but he didn't seem surprised. He must have been one of the many visitors Leon spoke of in the hospital.

"I'm doing…" Cloud paused, looking down to the ground before he lifted his gaze to meet Sephiroth's. "Great, actually." He smiled.

Sephiroth nodded with a smile as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Glad to hear it."

"You knew, didn't you?" Cloud commented more than asked.

Sephiroth sighed to himself then looked down to the ground. "I was Zell's contact to the Children's Village. He called me the morning after you left the hospital after your black-out. Said he wanted to make things right for you."

"And you didn't think I'd want to know this information?" Cloud asked in an accusing manner though there was no anger behind it.

Sephiroth shrugged and met Cloud's eyes. "You were going through a lot. I offered but you were closed to the idea of knowing who would be your guardian." He paused a moment. "I suppose it would have helped if I told you anyhow but Zell really wanted to be the one to tell you. I didn't want to take that away from him."

Cloud smiled and bit his lower lip. "I'm glad it worked out the way it did. He seemed to really enjoy telling me that I am his bitch now."

Sephiroth chuckled and relaxed his arms, casually supporting his weight with his hands on the desk behind him. "That sounds like Zell. He was always a handful when he schooled here."

Cloud chuckled before scratching the back of his head. "We're heading out now but I wanted to come see you again before we left." He paused, a silence that was maintained by the principal before Cloud continued. "I guess I wanted to say… so much, actually, but thank you." He took another moment before continuing. "You've always looked out for me and did what you thought best for me, even though I hated you for it." Cloud's eyes lifted to meet the principal's. "And you were right; I would be back to thank you for it." He smiled and shook his head. His smiled dropped as did his eyes. "My father left me and I guess I've always sort of seen you as his replacement. I couldn't have survived what I did if you hadn't looked after me concerning Tony. I wouldn't be happy right now if you hadn't stepped in and took care of my home life." His eyes met Sephiroth's again, wet and soft. "Thank you."

Sephiroth smiled and leaned forward, a motion that invited Cloud for an embrace, which the blond did. He squeezed his eyes shut as the principal wrapped his arms around the boy. "I'm so sorry." Cloud whispered. "I'm sorry I was angry at you for helping me."

"It's okay, Cloud. I understand. I'm not upset about it. Never was."

Cloud pulled back from the embrace and wiped away a tear. "You were only trying to help-"

"And you were going through too much." Sephiroth interrupted. "It's an understandable reaction and I've never held it against you."

Cloud smiled and looked down to the ground. "I wouldn't mind keeping in touch, if the offer is still on the table." Cloud looked up at Sephiroth and felt a swell of affection of the man who had watched over him through this whole ordeal.

"You'll take my number this time?" Sephiroth laughed, pulling a card out from his wallet.

Cloud chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I will."

Sephiroth handed Cloud his card, which was tucked away immediately. "How is Leon doing?"

Cloud smiled at the mere mention of Leon's name. "He's doing good. He doesn't have a concussion and his injuries will heal with time." Cloud glanced up into the principal's eyes. "You were at the hospital, weren't you?"

Sephiroth nodded, a strained frown on his lips. "As soon as I heard what Tony had done to you. I never thought he would take things so far."

"Neither did I." Cloud agreed. "I didn't know he was capable to that; we used to be so close. I've known him since kindergarten."

"He won't be bothering anyone anymore." Sephiroth responded. "And I've already put in measures to make sure everyone else is safe at school. No one should be afraid of who they are."

Cloud smiled and nodded but had nothing to say. He was just glad that something was being done about it.

"You'd better be off." Sephiroth said finally. "You have a long day ahead of you."

Cloud nodded and glanced up at the principal again. "Thank you." he said, hugging Sephiroth one last time.

"Keep in touch." Sephiroth said as the blond moved towards the door. "Let me know how everything is working out for you guys."

Cloud glanced back and smiled. "I will."

Cloud had less than two minutes to wipe all evidence of tears from his eyes before he would in within visual distance of Leon, Zell, and Irvine again. He took a couple of deep breaths as he left the school and smiled at the two boys in the truck and Irvine in his car, who were all watching him. Leon's expression offered nothing but Cloud knew he was happy.

Leon moved over in the truck to give Cloud some space and wrapped his arm around his slender waist. "How did it go?"

Cloud leaned over and kissed Leon's lips gently before smiling. "Really well. I'm so glad I did it."

Leon smiled at him adoringly and took a deep breath. "I'm glad you're happy."

"I'm glad you're with me." Cloud said before looking over at Zell. "I also learned that you were a handful in high school."

Zell rolled his eyes and faked a frown. "That liar."

"Uh huh, that you are." Cloud chuckled.

"That man doesn't know what he's talking about." Zell retorted, starting up the truck.

"Au contraire," Leon countered. "I think he's a reliable informant."

"Al contrario," Zell said with a grin. "I think you're biased."

Leon offered a small grin and looked over at his lover with a soft smile. "I love you."

Cloud smiled and his heart felt like it was melting within his chest. "I love you."

Zell sighed to himself and called Irvine from his cell. He put it on speaker before placing it in the holder. "Yo, need company here. These guys are drowning in affection."

Irvine laughed from the other end of the line. "You got it. Start us off!"

"Ooohhhhhhhhh…" Zell started off key. "Nine hundred ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall-"

"Please lets not…" Leon groaned, hiding his face in blond spikes.

Irvine jumped in with the song and soon they were on the road to their new home. Zell and Irvine ignored Leon's complaining and Cloud's whining and continued with their song as though everyone was having a grand old time.

Cloud grinned to himself and watched Leon's playfully sad eyes implore him to put an end to the loud singing. Cloud pouted playfully and shook his head. Leon's lips twitched and Cloud pointed to them with a hopefully smile. Leon's lips tightened into a frown before a smile broke free and spread across his features. Cloud giggled and pulled Leon in for a deep, passionate kiss, leaning back against the car door and pulling the brunet on top of him. He couldn't stop the singing for his man so he was going to help him ignore it.

The horrible singing aside, Cloud was bursting with happiness as they hit the highway. He had a new family who cared him, great friends who would do anything for him, and a gorgeous boyfriend who loved Cloud as much as Cloud loved him.

He had everything he wanted and much, much more.

_Finally._

-o-o-o-

Críochnaithe!

I really hope you guys enjoyed this story. I had so much fun writing it, despite the rough patches I went through in life as I wrote it. I'm both happy and sad it's over, but after popping out a couple of more stories that are bouncing around in my head, I will be doing a sequel to Salacity. I think I'll miss Leon too much if I don't and I already have a few great ideas for Salacity II.

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this whole thing. I wanted to say a special thank you to a few others who have kept me going and have been a tremendous support.

First of all, thank you to my friend and muse, **KlikStar**, for always being there for me. She not only gave me confidence and support while I wrote most of my fics, but she's been an amazing friend when I was going through hell at home. You made things bearable, just knowing that I'm not alone. I won't say sorry for unloading on you all those times because I don't want to make you shake your head at me, but I feel so lucky to have you in my life. Thank you, Klik, and your fic is next. ;P

I also wanted to say thank you to **ChrK** for being my friend and making me laugh with every single PM. I even have a cast roll now thanks to his picture! :D (Link on my profile! Go see!) I can honestly say that my day brightens whenever I see his name in my inbox. I rushed a few chapters just for you. I hate snow…

A thank you and a completely sincere sorry for **Sofia**. I am still floored that people really like this fic and your words really made me feel good. The sorry is for being hit-and-miss for replying to your e-mails. Here's to hoping you'll forgive me. Thank you for sharing that picture for Salacity on your DeviantArt account! (Go check it out! Link on my profile!)

Thank you to **Revalations** for her picture 'Cleon Luvin'', also found on my profile. It makes me giddy and I think you've really captured Cloud and Leon's characterizations beautifully! Thanks for liking this story. I am honestly flattered.

Also, thank you to **KyoSohmaLuver** for five pictures inspired by Salacity! Links on my profile! Thanks to you, Brad, Brantley, Xander, Eric, and Tony all have a face. That was a real surprise and I adore each picture. Also, I'm in love with the cover you created for Salacity if it were a book. You're very sweet!

I also wanted to give a shout out to **Stuffed Fox** (that's how I know her, anyhow). I did receive your e-mail and I did keep it. I'm trying to catch up on PMs and review replies now, so I will write you back. Promise! Thank you! *melts*

I really wish I could give an individual shout out to everyone who has left a review or contacted me but then my closing words would be longer than the chapter. I mean it when I say thank you to **everyone**. Sometimes I think about what others have said about Salacity and I get all giddy. It keeps me up late some nights, _no word of a lie_.

I'm starting to put together ideas for a novel which I hope to publish some day. Yes, Angel has gotten the author-bug and now I want to see my stories on the bookstore shelves. (Not these ones, obviously.) I'll update my profile when I think of it and keep you posted if you're interested.

I'm going to start to respond to the back-load of reviews I've received so I'm sorry if I begin to send you multiple messages. From now on I'll have a story completed before I begin posting so replies will come more quickly.

Thank you, again!

XoXo


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